Portfolio Business and Operations Manager

We are seeking a high-potential Business and Operations Manager, 3 to 10 years into their career, to drive day-to-day business management and revenue and profitability improvement across a group of portfolio companies in warehousing, distribution, and physical products. Working directly with the leadership team at each company and with group ownership, you will bring structure, financial discipline, and a business operations mindset to the portfolio.

This is a development role, not a seasoned executive hire. We are looking for someone with a strong academic foundation and a demanding early career in a hands-on, entrepreneurial environment, who is ready to take on real operating responsibility and be grown, over time, into general management of one or more of the group’s companies. These are small and mid-sized businesses with lean teams, and the role requires someone comfortable working without the infrastructure and support of a large organization.

The position is hybrid and virtual the majority of the time, with in-person work at portfolio company locations as required, in-person meetings in the GTA every couple of weeks, and regular travel across sites.

Job Responsibilities

Business and Operations Management

• Manage day-to-day business operations across multiple portfolio companies, working closely with site and general managers.

• Establish operating cadences, KPIs, and reporting rhythms so performance at each company is visible, measurable, and improving.

• Identify operational bottlenecks in warehousing, fulfillment, inventory management, and logistics, and lead initiatives to resolve them.

• Standardize processes and share best practices across companies where it makes sense to do so.

Revenue and Profitability Improvement

• Identify and execute opportunities to grow revenue, including pricing reviews, customer and channel profitability analysis, and sales operations improvements.

• Lead cost of goods sold (COGS) management across the portfolio, including procurement, supplier negotiation, freight and logistics costs, and inventory efficiency.

• Analyze unit economics and product-level margins, and translate findings into concrete actions with company leadership.

• Improve working capital performance through better inventory, receivables, and payables management.

Financial Oversight and Reporting

• Support annual budgeting and periodic forecasting for each portfolio company, and hold leadership teams accountable to plan.

• Lead monthly business reviews covering financial results, operational KPIs, and progress on improvement initiatives.

• Report regularly to group leadership on performance, risks, and opportunities across the portfolio.

• Work with company bookkeepers, controllers, and external accountants to ensure timely and accurate financial information.

Leadership and Special Projects

• Provide direction and support to site managers and small operational teams, building capability and accountability within each business.

• Lead special projects such as new revenue lines, facility changes, systems implementations, or integration of newly acquired businesses.

• Build strong working relationships with company leadership, key customers, and suppliers.

Key Qualifications

•     Experience: 3 to 10 years of work experience since completing a bachelor’s degree, in business operations, operations management, consulting, finance, or a general management track. Some experience managing people, projects, or a P&L is expected. Candidates with more than 10 years of experience, or who have already held senior executive roles, are not the target profile for this position.

•     Education: Bachelor’s degree from a top Ontario university (Queen’s, Western, McMaster, Waterloo, Toronto, or comparable), ideally in business, commerce, engineering, or economics, with a strong academic record. An MBA is an asset but is not required.

•     Environment: A track record in owner-operated, family-owned, founder-led, private equity backed, or other small and mid-sized businesses where you have had to do the work yourself. Candidates whose careers have been spent primarily in large corporate environments are not the target profile for this position.

•     Physical Products: Hands-on exposure to businesses that handle real physical products, such as warehousing, distribution, manufacturing, or consumer goods.

•     Financial Acumen: Solid finance experience or education, including comfort with P&L management, budgeting, margin analysis, and COGS management.

•     Business Operations Mindset: A structured, analytical approach to running businesses, with the ability to move fluidly between strategy and hands-on execution.

•     Growth Orientation: Ambition to run a business, willingness to learn by doing, and the maturity to take direction from ownership while owning results.

•     Communication: Ability to work effectively with ownership, company leadership, and frontline teams, and to present findings and recommendations clearly.

•     Location and Travel: Based in Southwestern Ontario. Virtual the majority of the time, with in-person work at portfolio companies as needed, GTA meetings every couple of weeks, and regular travel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working across multiple business units, sites, or companies at the same time.

• Exposure to warehousing, logistics, or supply chain systems (WMS, ERP, inventory management tools).

• Experience in a holding company, private equity portfolio, or owner-operated business environment.

• Experience starting, growing, or turning around a business, including a family business or a venture of your own.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

• A defined growth path toward general management of one or more portfolio companies, with responsibility added as it is earned.

• Hybrid working environment that is virtual the majority of the time.

• Exceptional variety across companies, industries, and types of work.

• Direct exposure to ownership-level decision making across a growing portfolio.

About the Group

Ekagrata is a globally established principal investment and private holding company, founded in 2008 with an entrepreneurial drive to build sustainable, long-term businesses. The group invests and operates across diverse industries, including food and agriculture, e-commerce and logistics, energy, and infrastructure. Learn more at ekagrata.com.

How to Apply

Submit a resume and cover letter detailing your relevant experience.