Operational Partner @ Outlander VC in Remote

Outlander VC is seeking experienced and high-impact Operational Partnersto join our venture capital firm. We are looking for experienced startup founders and senior executives to work with our founders and gain ownership in a fast-growing venture capital fund.

MUST: Have been a founder/early team member of a successful startup (e.g., scaled to valuations beyond $500M)

This role offers a unique opportunity to provide strategic, hands-on support to Outlander’s rising star portfolio companies as they navigate critical growth stages. The ideal candidate is a founder or senior operator who has scaled a company from inception to valuations exceeding $500M, with the operational insight to guide companies through the challenges of rapid growth and beyond.

Given our investments across AI, enterprise, robotics, defense, health, and beyond, we are looking for operators and founders with diverse experiences. It is mandatory that you achieved a rare level of success and were a founder or executive who helped scale the business from early stage through exit.

In addition we are looking for individuals who enjoy mentoring, advising and generally being helpful to founders. It’s also a huge bonus if you’re already investing as an angel or have some experience as a scout, venture partner or role in a venture fund – but this is not required.

Why Operating Partner?

The operating partner role can be a stepping stone to a full time career in venture capital with our fund or others. You will gain access to our events, people, resources, annual investor meetings and gain access to our partnership for further learning, development and mentorship.

It may also be a way for you to gain greater access to our massive deal flow: we source over 5,000 deals a year and invest in less than 1%. Our operating partners are invited to invest alongside the fund and learn from our associates and partners. You may also recommend your favorite founders & deals and gain an inside edge for your favorite startups.

For others, the opportunity to mentor a select group of founders and join in the facial upside of the partnership is the greatest benefit.

About Outlander

At Outlander VC, we are a veteran and woman-owned & led fund with top decile DPI and TVPI performance over the last decade. Outlander has invested in over 150 pre-seed and seed-stage companies, resulting in over 18 unicorns (like Scale, Gusto, Wish, Andela, ID.me, and others) and top decile returns. We leverage a proprietary, 38-point human factors analysis framework to consistently identify and back exceptional founding teams at the earliest stages.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Mentorship:

Act as a trusted advisor to founders and executive teams of select portfolio companies. Provide strategic leadership across core areas, including business development, product scaling, and operational optimization, with the goal of accelerating growth.

Operational Expertise:

• Share best practices and operational frameworks to help portfolio companies scale efficiently and sustainably. Advise on critical operational decisions around team building, process design, and market expansion to ensure they can meet or exceed key milestones.

Growth Guidance:

• Offer guidance on overcoming scaling challenges, whether related to product-market fit, team development, or customer acquisition strategies. Help founders focus on the most impactful growth levers and avoid common pitfalls as they scale their companies to the next level.

Capital Efficiency & Fundraising:

• Support our founders in managing capital efficiently through growth phases. Provide insights into fundraising strategies, investor relations, and preparation for larger funding rounds. Assist in positioning companies for long-term success and future capital raises.

Leadership Development & Team Building:

• Advise on building high-performing teams and organizational culture. Provide mentorship to founders as they grow from operational leaders to visionary executives capable of leading larger, more complex organizations.

Exit Strategy & Value Creation:

• Help companies prepare for and execute successful liquidity events, whether through M&A, strategic partnerships, or IPOs. Provide expertise on maximizing valuation and positioning companies for long-term, sustainable success post-exit.

Sector Expertise & Network Building:

• Leverage your extensive network to connect founders with strategic partners, customers, and potential acquirers. Share market insights and help founders stay ahead of industry trends and competitive dynamics that could impact their growth trajectory.

Qualifications:

Experience:

• A founder or senior operator with a proven track record of scaling a company from inception or early stages to valuations exceeding $500M, ideally to unicorn status or beyond.
• Expertise in navigating the challenges of rapid growth and scaling across various operational areas, including product, market, and team building.
• Experience advising or mentoring early- to mid-stage companies through critical growth phases.

Skills:

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to solving complex operational and scaling challenges.
• Exceptional leadership and mentorship skills, with the ability to guide founders and management teams through high-pressure situations.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to support capital management, fundraising, and value creation efforts.

Attributes:

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a deep passion for helping founders succeed in scaling their companies beyond early-stage milestones.
• A natural collaborator with the ability to build trust and rapport with founders and leadership teams quickly.
• A high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to coach founders through both tactical and personal growth.

Preferred:

• Experience scaling companies in sectors such as AI, healthtech, fintech, Robotics, SaaS, etc.
• Prior experience as a board member, advisor, or operational mentor to growth-stage companies.

Location:

Virtual – the Outlander team works mainly from NYC and SF but you are welcome to be anywhere.

Start:

Immediately

Compensation:

• Equity across the GP carry pool (ie ownership in the fund)
• Additional Advisory shares from portfolio companies
• Paid advisory roles at select portfolio companies