Portfolio Manager

Role overview

Why this role exists

The accelerator has run its active phase and portfolio companies are moving into their next stages. Someone needs to hold the relationship, track progress, and make sure nothing falls. The President focuses on strategy and international track; this role owns the operational layer of portfolio management.

Key responsibilities

1. Portfolio communications & tracking

• Own regular touchpoints with portfolio companies — structured updates (monthly/quarterly), check-ins, calls

• Build and maintain a portfolio tracker: KPIs, milestones, fundraising status, key risks

• Prepare consolidated portfolio reports for fund investors and the board

• Flag issues early, escalate blockers to the President

2. Portfolio support

• Facilitate introductions to investors, corporates, and strategic partners when needed

• Coordinate support requests: legal, accounting, HR, product — route them to the right resource

• Assist founders with investor materials, grant applications, and program participation

• Maintain an up-to-date database of portfolio company profiles and news

3. Cross-ecosystem coordination

• Identify portfolio companies eligible for grants, partnerships, or capabilities engagements

• Coordinate with right resource on deal flow and grant support

• Share portfolio highlights and stories with the communications function for socials, reports, and events

4. Portfolio operations & coordination

• Serve as the operational hub for all portfolio-facing processes — own the full coordination layer between Defence Builder and its companies

• Send, track, and follow up on all outbound requests to portfolio companies: information requests, document submissions, deadline reminders, survey responses

• Manage newsletter and update distribution to portfolio companies — ecosystem news, programme opportunities, relevant calls-for-applications, partner announcements

• Maintain a master operations tracker across the portfolio: open requests, pending responses, deadlines, owners

Expected outcomes (first 6 months)

30 days:

• Full map of active portfolio and alumni: status, needs, contacts

• Regular reporting cadence established with all portfolio companies

60 days:

• KPI dashboard live, first investor report drafted

• Gaps in portfolio support identified and addressed

90 days:

• Smooth handover from accelerator team complete, no relationships dropped

• Portfolio communication operating independently

6 months:

• Portfolio Manager is the primary relationship owner for all DB portfolio companies

• Recognized by founders as a reliable, proactive point of contact

Candidate profile

Background

• 2+ years in a portfolio management, investor relations, startup operations, or program management role

• Experience working with early-stage startups as a founder, operator, or accelerator team member

• Familiarity with the venture or defence-tech ecosystem (Ukraine or international)

• Fluent Ukrainian and English — written and spoken

Skills & style

• Structured and proactive — builds systems, doesn't wait to be asked

• Strong written communication — can synthesize updates and write clearly for different audiences

• Empathetic but accountable — founders trust you, but you hold them to commitments

• Comfortable with ambiguity and a fast-moving environment

What we're not looking for

• Pure analyst with no startup or founder-facing experience

• Someone who needs a detailed playbook and fully-defined processes from day one

• Passive coordinator — this role requires initiative and ownership

What we offer

• Front-row seat at the intersection of defence tech, venture, and national security

• Direct access to Ukrainian and international defence-tech founders and investors

• Participation in international events, delegations, and ecosystem activations

• High autonomy and the opportunity to build the portfolio function from scratch