OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE

Support and strengthen a growing portfolio of enduring small businesses through operational execution,  analytics, and project management

 

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JOIN SATURN FIVE 

Saturn Five is looking for an execution powerhouse to join its Operations Team in Denver as an Operations Associate. If that sounds like you and if you’re looking for a great culture, variety in your work, and you love small business, this could be a strong fit. You’ll work closely with operations leadership and the leaders of our portfolio companies, spanning a wide range of businesses, from specialty contractors, to landscaping and garden centers, to outdoor adventure tour operators.  You’ll get direct exposure to the operating realities of growing small businesses and the investment strategies that support them. We are currently deploying a nearly $200 million investment fund focused on acquiring outstanding small businesses with strong cultures, resilient cash flows, and long-term growth potential. We emphasize stewardship over short-term optimization, we are a long-term-hold investor (i.e., we don’t “flip” companies), we partner closely with management teams, and we prioritize the long-term health of the businesses we own.

 

THE ROLE

As an Operations Associate, you’ll manage the integration of new acquisitions, oversee portfolio-company reporting, take on special projects that enable the firm and our portfolio companies to be successful, and support firm operations broadly with whatever needs to be done (i.e., no task is too big or too small). Your responsibilities will be broad, requiring exceptional execution, organization, communication, and analytical capabilities. There are multiple potential career trajectories within Saturn Five from this position, based upon the strengths you bring to the role. We look forward to sharing more with you about our vision to expand our portfolio company resources and data analytics capabilities, and learning more about your career interests.

 

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

Gain invaluable soup-to-nuts integration experience, and operating and financial insight into a wide range of small businesses alongside a proven team who has been doing this work for years.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Manage new company integrations (we call them “transitions”) after acquisition, ensuring  the entities are established properly and all financial and operational changes (like new bank accounts, equipment titles, employee matters, etc.) are handled correctly and completed on time
• Execute on operational, support, special research, or administrative projects for the Ops Team or within our portfolio companies, helping our CEOs be successful, to include supporting periodic CEO gatherings and best-practice-sharing events

PORTFOLIO REPORTING & ANALYTICS

• Execute and manage the monthly financial reporting process for portfolio companies, including compiling data into standardized templates at the fund and company level, and coordinating senior-level reviews
• Support quarterly investment performance reporting to senior management and investors
• Support Operating Partners to collect, organize, systematize, and analyze portfolio-company operating metrics
• Aggregate, synthesize, and visualize operational and financial data to support decision-making 
• Identify, implement, and manage technology tools to optimize Operations Team processes and information gathering

WHY SATURN FIVE?

We think small businesses are important.  We find companies with strong foundations and work closely with management teams to help them grow thoughtfully over time.

Our values, Adventure, Trust, Excellence, Love, and Joy, shape both how we invest and how we work together. We currently own controlling stakes in just under 30 businesses and we are planning for that number to nearly double in the next few years. More about our philosophy and approach can be found in our annual letters: Saturn Five Annual Letters [https://www.saturnfive.com/annual-letters?utm_source=chatgpt.com]

 

WHO YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH

You’ll report directly to the firm’s COO and work closely with our team of Operating Partners to support our portfolio companies in the joys and challenges that come with running a  business.  We work hard, laugh a lot, and trust each other to get after it for our companies and investors. We think we’re a team most people would like to work with. You can see who you’ll be working with here: Our Team [https://www.saturnfive.com/about]

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

The role requires meticulous attention to detail, a strong bias toward action, and amazing follow through. You should be equally comfortable consolidating financial information, documenting operational processes, managing complex projects, and supporting leadership teams across a variety of needs. We value people who are resourceful, service-oriented, and willing to jump into unfamiliar or challenging situations to help the team move forward.

• Bachelor's degree in finance, business, or a related field
• 3–5 years of professional experience in operations, finance, business analytics, consulting, investment management, private equity support, or a related environment
• Solid financial acumen - knowledge of general finance and budgeting, and comfort with three-statement financial models, including profit and loss (P&L), balance sheet, and statement of cash flows
• Advanced Excel and Google Sheet capabilities
• Fluency with tech (especially AI) tools
• Demonstrated ability to aggregate, synthesize, and visualize data clearly for others
• Experience with business intelligence, dashboarding, SQL, or data visualization tools is a plus
• Strong project management capabilities with demonstrated excellence handling multiple parallel projects; laser-focused control of your calendar and tracking your to-dos; expertise with project management tools like Asana and/or Notion is a major plus
• Exceptional execution and follow-through; someone who consistently completes work accurately, thoughtfully, and faster than expected
• High attention to detail and organizational discipline
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to adapt communication styles across investors, executives, operators, and external partners
• Strong emotional intelligence and willingness to proactively communicate challenges, needs, and important information
• Ability to assess, implement, and manage software tools to address business needs
• Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and sound judgment
• Strong interest in small businesses and long-term investing
• Ability to leverage AI tools productively while maintaining independent critical thinking
• Questionably high tolerance for tired jokes
• Willingness to work in person in Denver

 

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Base salary: $90,000-$110,000 (depending on experience and background)
• Annual bonus target: Starting at 10% of base salary
• 401(k) with employer match
• Health and dental insurance
• Paid time off
• Coaching support 
• Monthly date-night stipend

 

LOCATION & TIMING

• Denver, Colorado (in-person)
• Apply before July 1, 2026
• Target start date:  Summer 2026

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ARE YOU A FIT?

If you’re hungry, humble, and smart, if you can take a joke (and give one), and if you think small businesses are important, we’d love to meet you; please apply!