Managing Director, Italy - Buy & Build | Value Creation

AURELIUS Growth; Lombardia; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

AURELIUS Growth is expanding its Italian platform and seeks a Managing Director (m/f/d) to lead Buy & Build and value creation. You will shadow the CEO, establish strategy, build leadership, and drive disciplined growth across the platform with cross-functional support from Investment, Operations, and Finance.

High-impact leadership needed with extensive P&L responsibility, strong deal execution, and proven ability to collaborate with investors.

Qualifications

• Substantial general management experience in mid-cap contexts.
• Demonstrated PE or M&A expertise with deal execution experience.
• Credibility with management teams and investors; decisive, hands-on style.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen; fluent Italian and English.
• MBA or strategy consulting background is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Set strategy and governance; build and upgrade leadership; scalable operating model.
• Own P&L, cash, and performance; deliver the value-creation plan and report to Board.
• Lead buy-and-build; shape deal pipeline, execute acquisitions, drive integrations.
• Prepare platform for timely, value-maximizing exit.

Skills

General management

PE / M&A

P&L ownership

Leadership

Education

Business/Engineering degree

Job description

AURELIUS is a global alternative investor, distinguished and widely recognised for its operational approach. It focuses on private markets, in particular Private Equity and Private Debt. Its key investment platforms include AURELIUS Opportunities V, AURELIUS European Opportunities IV, AUR Portfolio III and AURELIUS Growth Investments (Wachstumskapital). AURELIUS has been growing significantly in recent years, especially expanding its global footprint, and today employs more than 400 professionals in 10 offices spanning Europe, North America and Asia.

AURELIUS is driven by a spirit of entrepreneurship, with a collegiate hands-on approach to complex projects. We are motivated, open, fun, and operate as a team of equals.

Create impact with passion!

As we begin to expand our AURELIUS Growth operations in Italy, we are seeking leaders to join us as

Managing Director (m/f/d) — Buy & Build | Value Creation

In this leadership role at AURELIUS Growth, you will steward small-cap platforms from signing to exit, initially acting as a shadow CEO to set strategic direction, establish operating cadence, and assemble the leadership bench, before transitioning into full operational leadership as the platform scales through disciplined buy-and-build. Pre-deal you will partner closely with the Investment team. Post-close, you assume primary accountability for the platform with dedicated support from Investment, Operations, TxO, Finance, Recruiting, and the Digital Factory. The focus market is Italy; fluent Italian and English are required. Travel is extensive however; relocation is not required.

What you’ll do

• Set strategy and governance, build and upgrade the leadership team and embed a scalable operating model.
• Own P&L, cash, and performance management; develop & deliver the value-creation plan and provide regular Board updates.
• Lead buy-and-build: shape the pipeline with the platform’s newly built deal team, execute acquisitions, integrate effectively, and realize synergies.
• Prepare the platform for timely, value-maximizing exit.

What you’ll need

• Substantial general management experience (MD/CEO/GM) in a mid-cap context with direct eight‑figure P&L responsibility.
• Demonstrated small/mid-cap PE or M&A expertise, including deal execution and post-merger integration at pace.
• Credibility with management teams and investors; a decisive, hands‑on approach balanced with a measured, diplomatic style.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen; degree in business, engineering, or science (or equivalent experience).
• Fluent Italian and English.
• Advantageous: Strategy consulting background (MBB or equivalent) and/or MBA.