Entrepreneur in Residence / Integrator / General Manager

Recooty; Remote; ZAR 1 639 000 - 1 968 000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic venture studio in Cape Town is seeking an Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) – Integrator who will be pivotal in developing an efficient execution engine. This leadership position demands strong communication, system-thinking abilities, and a proactive approach to manage operations across various ventures. You'll directly impact a fast-paced, outcome-driven environment, ensuring that strategic goals translate into effective actions. Ideal candidates will exhibit a blend of operational experience and the ability to foster alignment among teams.

Benefits

Founder-level seat

Full execution ownership

Profit participation

Path to equity participation

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams or complex initiatives.
• Ability to operate across multiple functions.
• Strong execution instincts and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operating system of PORTFOLIO PLAY.
• Lead and coordinate the studio's Strategy Team.
• Drive culture and knowledge sharing within the organization.

Skills

Leadership

Execution

Systems thinking

Strong communication

Coaching

Job description

Who We’re Looking For

Not a corporate executive.

Not a deck-polisher.

Not someone looking for a “Head of Ops” title with guardrails.

We’re looking for a builder–operator.

A systems thinker who thrives in ambiguity.

A calm executor who brings structure to chaos.

Someone who doesn’t just advise founders — but builds the machine that allows founders and ventures to scale.

This is a core leadership role inside a venture studio.

High trust. High responsibility. Real ownership.

We can’t promise comfort.

We can promise leverage, impact, and the chance to build something enduring.

About PORTFOLIO PLAY

PORTFOLIO PLAY is a venture studio that builds and scales profitable, service-based and tech-enabled B2B businesses.

We don’t invest and advise from the sidelines.

We build from the inside — teams, systems, operating models, and execution engines.

Each venture is different.

The operating system is shared.

That operating system — Mission Control — is what allows us to:

• launch ventures faster,
• scale without chaos,
• and avoid founder burnout.

We’re now looking for an Integratorlead to own and evolve that system.

The Role

As Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) – Integrator, you are the execution backbone of PORTFOLIO PLAY.

You work alongside the Visionary founders as part of the EOS / Traction Rocketfuel team, translating strategy into action and ensuring that what’s decided actually gets done.

This is not a sales role.

This is not a client delivery role.

This is an internal, cross-venture, execution leadership role.

You build, run, and continuously improve how the studio operates.

What You’ll Be Building

1. The Execution Engine (Mission Control)

• Own the day-to-day operating system of PORTFOLIO PLAY
• Translate founder vision into clear priorities, plans, and outcomes
• Ensure alignment, accountability, and momentum across teams and ventures
• Surface blockers early and drive resolution

2. Leadership, Management & Accountability

• Lead and coordinate the studio’s Strategy Team, including Mission Control, Tech / Factory, Sales, and Media
• Run operating cadence: daily or async huddles, weekly Level 10s, retrospectives, planning sessions
• Act as escalation point and tie‑breaker when execution stalls
• Coach team leads and portfolio CEOs from an execution and systems perspective

3. The Operating System (Circle of Life)

• Own and evolve the Circle of Life (CoL):
  • process documentation
  • operating manuals
  • lifecycle definitions for ventures, teams, and initiatives
• Ensure CoL is the single source of truth for how the studio runs
• Drive adoption and operational discipline across the organisation

4. Venture Enablement

• Support onboarding and scaling of new ventures
• Build reusable templates, intake flows, and delivery systems
• Improve execution quality via QA, MVP mapping, rollout readiness, and continuous process improvement
• Participate in strategy and execution reviews with portfolio founders

5. Culture, Knowledge & Internal Enablement

• Drive documentation and knowledge sharing to reduce dependency on individuals
• Host internal workshops and enablement sessions
• Reinforce a remote‑first, async‑friendly, execution‑focused culture
• Support hiring and onboarding from a systems and process lens

What This Role Is Not

• ❌ Not client‑facing delivery
• ❌ Not a sales or revenue quota role
• ❌ Not a passive COO or advisor seat

This is a hands‑on Integrator role. You build the rails so others can move fast.

Who You Are

• Integrator by nature — you bring structure, cadence, and clarity
• Operator first — ideas matter, but execution matters more
• Systems‑minded — you see patterns, bottlenecks, and leverage points
• Calm under pressure — ambiguity doesn’t scare you
• Ownership‑driven — problems don’t linger on your watch
• Strong communicator — you can align founders, teams, and operators
• EOS / Traction familiarity is a strong plus (or deep appetite to master it)

What You Bring

• Experience leading teams, operations, or complex initiatives
• Comfort operating across functions (ops, tech, delivery, growth)
• Strong execution instincts and follow‑through
• Ability to coach, align, and hold people accountable
• Bias toward action and continuous improvement
• High integrity and trustworthiness — you’ll sit at the centre of the studio

What We Offer

• 🧭 Founder-Level Seat – Real influence, not a support role
• ⚙️ Full Execution Ownership – You own how the studio runs
• 📘 A Proven Framework – With permission to improve it
• 💰 Profit Participation & Long‑Term Upside – Skin in the game
• 🌍 Remote‑First, Outcome‑Driven – No micromanagement
• 🚀 Multiple Ventures, One Engine – Compound learning and impact
• 🛠 Path to Equity Participation – Build value, share value
• 💡 Creative Freedom + Real Responsibility – Your ideas get shipped

How to Apply

If this sounds like your kind of challenge, we’d love to hear from you. Apply here: https://airtable.com/appfTd6vufYBjbJrg/shrrUT5qs9dkQlMYJ?prefill_fldOAaQWBlhAiyJ9z=Entrepreneur%20in%20Residence%20%28EIR%29%20%2F%20Venture%20Builder%20-%20Founders%20Associate%20-%20Integrator%20-%20ID-22&prefill_fldHzDHncygxCnD2d=PORTFOLIO%20PLAY&hide_fldHzDHncygxCnD2d=true

As part of the application, please include a short intro video (Loom or YouTube is perfect):

• Who you are
• Why this role excites you
• Why you believe you’re a fit for an Integrator role at a venture studio

Please note: we won’t move forward without the video.

We’re excited to meet the person who will help turn PORTFOLIO PLAY into a repeatable execution machine.