Wanted: Operating Partner to join our team at Brand:Detroit

Brand:Detroit is building a new generation of iconic consumer brands with a distinct Detroit ethos through a unique combination of venture investment, expert operating support, placemaking real estate and ecosystem creation. We are successful early stage founders and investors. Business building is in our DNA; Detroit runs through our blood. Our aim is simple: to partner with outstanding founders to build iconic brands and world-class businesses that show the world what Detroit is made of.

As our Detroit-based Operating Partner, your primary responsibility will be leading Brand:Detroit’s Venture Studio, focused on launching, incubating and proving out start-up consumer brand businesses, with a particular focus on CPG food and beverage. The Venture Studio will be based in Eastern Market, Detroit and will encompass office space, dedicated and shared production spaces, and retail storefronts for showcasing products. Our intention is to create a program that rivals YCombinator, focused on consumer brands and products.

Responsibilities include

• Overseeing operations of the Venture Studio
• Sourcing companies and founders with strong promise that align with Brand:Detroit’s mission and values
• Sitting on the Brand:Detroit Investment Committee to allocate funding and resources to companies
• Providing hands-on assistance to start-up companies and founders to develop new concepts and conduct market trials
• Developing training programs and materials to accelerate the curve for founders and teams
• Providing support to already-scaling Brand:Detroit companies
• Building a team of functional experts to provide shared services to Brand:Detroit companies in key areas including supply chain, production, distribution, sales, marketing, e-commerce, and finance/admin
• Sourcing partnerships with third party agencies, consultants, co-manufacturers, distributors and technology vendors in support of Brand:Detroit companies

Have you every heard of a cooler role for the right person? No shot. We've got a few ideas of the skill sets, interests and experiences of the just-right person to join our team on the ground floor.

Key qualifications

• Demonstrated experience and passion for business building in the consumer brand space, especially in the zero to one and one to ten phases
• Strong go-to-market orientation and exceptional hustle with core skills in CPG sales and marketing
• Active industry network of channels (distributors, retailers, etc), outsourcing partners (agencies, co-manufacturers, etc) and corporate development (investors, acquirers, etc)
• Strong leadership and mentorship orientation
• Orthogonal thinker with an aptitude for combining data and intuition to identify market needs and opportunities
• Alignment with Brand:Detroit values: authenticity, craftsmanship, originality, grit, relatability
• Genuine interest in making Detroit a hotbed for consumer brands

If you're the one, you'll receive a competitive salary, excellent benefits and equity participation in the business. You'll be coming in on the ground floor of what promises to be a generationally exciting opportunity.

If this sounds like you, please shoot us a note at careers@branddetroit.com and we'll be sure to get back to you. The future is bright; we'd love to work on this legendary mission - together.