Job Description

Full-time, 12 month maternity cover

Hybrid, Toronto, Canada



We are Koru.

Koru is a first of its kind venture studio funded by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. We partner with OTPP portfolio companies to build and invest in businesses with a clear right to win.

Founded in 2019, our mission is to drive value creation aimed at growing the overall value of OTPP's portfolio companies by partnering with them to identify, validate, build and oversee new disruptive businesses. We go from 0-1, building ventures that address customer frictions head-on -- and we leverage our corporate partnerships to gain unfair advantages in the market.

We offer a unique balance of risk and reward where startup talent can build with the backing of a $260B pension plan and the ability to impact portfolio companies all around the world, explore disruptive new opportunities and share in the upside of every business we put into the market. We promote a truly entrepreneurial mindset and a culture of fearless reinvention.

As Venture General Manager, you will have a unique opportunity to be exposed to a wide array of industries, and be the key decision-maker around all areas of the businesses you'll launch, as well as at Koru where you'll help to lead and grow the 'business that builds businesses'. Since 2019, we've launched 11 ventures across a broad array of industries and problem spaces. Take a look at our portfolio of ventures (https://www.hellokoru.com/our-ventures) to see for yourself.

If you get excited by building innovative products that allow new entrants to disrupt existing industries, enjoy working in a collaborative and dynamic startup environment, have an entrepreneurial background, and have strong startup leadership capabilities, then your place may be with us!

The Role.

As Venture General Manager, you will serve as the end-to-end strategic and operational leader for new venture creation within our studio. You'll be at the helm of multi-disciplinary teams working hands-on designing, validating, and launching transformative businesses, in a fast-paced, high-ambiguity environment. The mandate of this role spans from opportunity discovery to through to build and commercial launch of these new businesses.

Venture Discovery, Validation & Development o Operate with a founder's mindset: toggle seamlessly between strategic thinking and tactical execution to bring ventures from 0 to 1.

Lead multi-disciplinary teams to uncover and evaluate new venture opportunities, leveraging rigorous research, rapid experimentation, and real-time market feedback. Design and execute optimal validation paths--whether through in-market pilots, proof-of-concepts (POCs), or build/buy/partner strategies--to assess business potential and de-risk ideas quickly. Share insights, learnings, and best practices across ventures to continuously evolve our studio's methodology and toolkits. Identify and support critical inflection points across our existing venture portfolio, offering leadership and direction where needed.

Strategic & Inclusive Leadershipo Drive the early-stage strategic direction of each venture, shaping business models, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies that accelerate the path to product-market fit.

Build robust investment theses and secure internal alignment and resources by articulating the venture's unique value and potential for outsized impact--financially and strategically. Support in the sourcing, hiring and onboarding of early-stage talent to lead and scale the venture post-launch. Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes with clarity and influence--aligning founders, partners, investors, and internal leadership throughout the venture lifecycle. Establish business and operating frameworks, governance models, and commercial readiness for new ventures to scale. Cultivate a high-performing, psychologically safe team culture that champions curiosity, experimentation, and ownership. Foster a dynamic, transparent, and inclusive environment where all perspectives are valued and team collaboration is paramount.

What You Bring:

10+ years of senior leadership experience in venture-backed or corporate-funded startups, and / or a proven track record as a founder / in strategic and operational roles driving growth from early stage to scale. Demonstrated operational excellence, with the ability to build scrappy early processes that lay the foundation for scalable systems. Deep comfort with ambiguity and experimentation, leveraging data, market insights, and user research to inform bold, calculated decisions in new or evolving markets. Proven ability to quickly gain domain fluency and operate effectively across diverse industries and business models. Well-rounded experience across core startup functions--product, marketing, customer success, and business operations (HR, finance, legal, IT)--with functional depth in one or more areas. Proven track record of building and leading high-performing, cross-functional teams, combined with strong coaching instincts and a hands-on leadership style. Exceptional people and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to inspire teams and align senior leaders, partners, and investors around a common vision. Excellent communication skills, capable of flexing between strategic board-level discussions and day-to-day operational problem-solving. A proven track record of owning and executing on P&L responsibilities, including go-to-market strategy, financial modeling, forecasting, and market sizing. Commitment to fostering a collaborative team culture, built off of psychological safety and continuous learning through experimentation and feedback.

What happens next?

Once we review your application, if we'd like to move you forward in the process, here's what you can expect:

Step 1:

Introductory call w/the Head of People & Operations (30 minutes)

Step 2:

Interview with COO (45 minutes)

Step 3:

Practical Challenge (60 minute panel presentation)

Step 4:

Hiring Team Interview (60 minutes)

Step 5:

Candidate Debrief

Step 6:

Reference Checking

Step 7:

Offer



Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Diversity of perspectives and experience is at the core of how we approach disruption and innovation. We believe in fostering an environment where team members of all backgrounds can feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work every day. We aim to ensure all of our employees work in an environment that makes them feel valued, heard and supported while they strive towards career pursuits and their personal and professional growth.

We are committed to providing accommodations for all candidates that require them and in all aspects of the recruitment, selection, and/or assessment process. If you are selected to participate in any part of the selection and/or assessment process, please inform us of any accommodation(s) that you may require.

Our location.

Koru's offices are located in downtown Toronto. We humbly acknowledge that Koru HQ is located on land that is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the New Credit, Chippewa (Anishinaabeg), Haudenosaunee, and Wendat. This territory is covered by the 'Toronto Purchase: Treaty 13' which was the surrender of the lands from the Mississaugas of the Credit to the British Crown initially in 1787.

Koru staff and/or board members are made up of settlers, immigrants, descendants of immigrants, or a combination thereof. Our roots lie in continents across the world and we are grateful for the opportunity to share this land where we work and live.



Please note that this role is hybrid and requires the selected candidate to travel to Koru HQ in Toronto, Ontario as and when required by the company. Additionally, all individuals considered for this role are required to be legally eligible to work in Canada.



We're flattered that you'd like to join our team, but only applicants selected to proceed in the hiring process will be contacted.