The Vice President will work closely with Oaktree's Special Situations investment professionals and senior members of the Portfolio Transformation Team (PTT), collaborating with portfolio company leadership, boards of directors, and external advisors to drive operational improvement and transformation across Oaktree's portfolio. The role also includes supporting due diligence efforts by providing differentiated operational insights during new deal evaluations.
Primary Roles and Responsibilities Include:- Partner with PTT leadership team to support management teams to develop and implement "Take Control" activities and 100 Day Plans - including milestone-driven, detailed operating plans that focus on successfully integrating portfolio companies and driving performance improvement opportunities.
- Be willing to take on interim roles within portfolio companies to drive results directly, when necessary
- Provide strategic, tactical and analytical leadership to portfolio company leadership teams, drawing on deep expertise across operations, strategy, and finance to drive measurable results.
- Support PTT leadership team in driving cross-functional turnaround and performance improvement programs including activities such as, but not limited to, core process redesign, cost reduction, corporate strategy, supply chain optimization, sales/marketing effectiveness, M&A support (including post-merger integration), talent and incentive upgrades, and other performance improvements.
- Support market-facing and operations diligence activities for potential new investments. Manage external advisors and deal teams to assess underlying markets, competitive landscapes, and target organization capabilities and strategies.
- Support Oaktree investment professionals and other advisors to further develop and execute liquidity/exit plans for portfolio companies.
- Own and support key PTT administrative tasks, including leading the development of functional or sector-specific playbooks, and building and maintaining a network of external partners across targeted capability areas. Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within the PTT team, including codifying best practices, capturing case studies, and supporting onboarding or development of junior team members.
The ideal candidate will bring a combination of the following:
- Top-tier management consulting experience from firms such as McKinsey, BCG, Bain, AlixPartners, or Alvarez & Marsal, with a focus on strategic transformation and operational turnaround.
- Hands-on transformation experience within a private equity firm's operating team or in an operating role within a PE-backed company, with a demonstrated track record of leading major business restructuring, value creation, or operational improvement initiatives.
- Preferably a sector or functional spike-a distinctive area of depth or expertise that can provide added value across situations.
- Cross-industry and cross-functional agility, with the ability to rapidly understand new industries, diagnose issues, and design impactful solutions.
Key attributes include strong problem-solving and analytical skills, resilience and tenacity to drive measurable outcomes, and high emotional intelligence. The ability to navigate multiple stakeholders and drive challenging initiatives in a collegial, influence-based manner-rather than relying on positional authority-is critical to success in this role.
