Functional Title: Associate
Type: Full-time, exempt position
Location: Downtown or Westside Los Angeles, CA
[Note: Due to COVID-19, this is temporarily a remote role.]
Who We Are
Optio Ventures is a startup venture studio.
We help early-stage startups and small businesses with:
- Operations – We roll up our sleeves and act like a co-founder or executive to help get work done across a variety of business functions (primarily finance, HR, recruiting, project management, etc.).
- Strategy – We serve in a senior advisory capacity, providing expert analysis that helps clients make the right business decisions day-in and day-out.
- Financing & Fundraising – We help clients raise money, all the way from angel and VC funding to bank loans.
We work across several industries but have recently developed a niche in healthcare (biotech, medtech, healthcare SaaS, etc.).
Optio Ventures currently invests time for equity in our portfolio companies. We will start raising a venture fund within 24 months.
Position Overview:
We are looking for a rockstar analyst / associate to take on the Associate role at Optio Ventures.
At Optio, Associates play critical roles in accelerating our portfolio companies and clients towards their next phases of development. A successful Associate works proactively with clients and the Optio team to achieve ambitious goals, mitigate risks, overcome obstacles, and deliver an excellent work product. We value our Associates for their ability to self-start, build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and get any job done in ambiguous and fast-paced environments.
Role & Responsibilities:
Client Support:
- Execute on the analysis-heavy work in the areas of operations, strategy, and fundraising, which will include financial modeling, various business & market analyses (transaction comparables, competitors, market entry, sales targets, vendor selection, personnel evaluation, etc.), and building decks.
- Contribute across multiple functions (e.g., high-level executive client communication, deck design, analysis, presentations, recruiting, HR matters, etc.)
- Build strong relationships with our clients to understand their needs and address the most critical business challenges for their startups.
- Formulate client services delivery approach and/or contribute to proposals / SOWs.
- Present research results to management teams and implement recommendations in collaboration with client’s team members.
- Lead financial projects and perform ad-hoc analysis to address key strategic issues for clients.
- Build and manage financial models that power financial forecasts and budgets, report on key insights and changes, and work with relevant departments to address areas of opportunity.
- Support fundraising processes and assist with investor relations as needed.
- Collaborate with client leadership and strategy team on pricing, product and margin expansion opportunities.
Internal Support:
- Participate in Optio Ventures marketing and business development efforts, including developing new clients and participating in presentations.
- Identify and develop relationships with relevant startup community stakeholders such as entrepreneurs and investors, and build a pipeline of potential partnerships, investors, and once our fund is established, investment opportunities.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
- Ability to communicate fluently and effectively in English (written and verbal).
- 2-4 years professional experience.
- Bachelor’s degree
- Experience with accounting and financial modeling
- Interest in startups is a must.
- Experience or deep interest in the healthcare space is critical (biotech, medtech, healthcare IT, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree and/or advanced profession degree (e.g., MBA, PhD, JD).
- Prior investment banking, private equity, or venture capital experience.
- Business management or consulting experience (e.g., McKinsey, Bain, BCG).
- Sector experience in financial services, healthcare, biotech and/or medtech.
- Regulatory experience in the medical device/pharmaceutical industry.
- Experience in business development in consulting (e.g., creating proposals).
- Experience in developing and delivering client presentations / communications.
- Strong record of leadership in an academic, professional, or extracurricular setting
- Strong analytical skills, ability to quickly understand complex business problems with high level of ambiguity and provide potential solutions.
- Strong understanding of financial principals and budgetary controls.
- Previous experience with budgeting, forecasting, analysis, and financial modeling/reporting.
- Solid understanding of business models, financials, and early-stage investment deal structures
- Ability to work and communicate (written and verbal) effectively with people at all levels in an organization.
- Passion for client service.
- Adaptable and resourceful in a start-up environment – you see a problem, you solve it.
- A master multi-tasker – you need to be able to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects.
- Willingness to travel (~ 25% of the time). [Note: travel will become relevant once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.]
What’s in it for you:
- A generous employee benefits package – including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) plan, and discretionary bonus.
- Intense experience with plentiful VC recruiting opportunities after 1-2 years (last 3 analysts / associates went to VC)
- Front-seat view into running startups and launching a VC firm
- Flexible PTO schedule
- Opportunity to grow internally.
- A chance to work alongside a small and powerful team in a collaborative culture that is respectful, inclusive, diverse, and inspiring.
- Opportunity to help shape the company from the beginning.
- Domestic travel.
- Sponsorship for participation in professional events and professional development.
- Unlimited learning and networking opportunities.
Are you a rockstar analyst or associate? If this sounds like YOU, we’d love to hear from you. At Optio Ventures, we value resourcefulness, diversity, team play, excellence, and hustle.
If interested, please apply here.
