Let’s Roast.
Ever seen a job ad that reads like a founder’s wishlist for their own clone? This week, we roast a Senior Manager, Partner Success role that’s equal parts sales, operations, event planning, and team leadership… all for a startup so small, the “team” might not even exist yet. The problem? Scaling by duplication doesn’t work. It amplifies your strengths and your gaps, and this role is a masterclass in how not to design a job. Tune in to hear why this “player-coach” gig is a one-way ticket to burnout, and what hiring managers (and job seekers) should watch out for.
Follow along with the full job ad here:
The Bigger Picture
How do you design a role for growth without defaulting to “hire another me”?
This episode exposes a common scaling trap: founders who try to replicate themselves instead of building complementary teams. The result? Roles that are unsustainable, demoralizing, and destined for turnover. The real challenge isn’t finding someone who can do it all, it’s designing systems and teams that can outlast the founder’s personal bandwidth.
At a Glance: The Job Profile
Job Title: Senior Manager, Partner Success
Report-to Title: Head of Partnerships
Company Size: 2-10 Employees
Industry: Industry Associations
What do they do?: Build and support the ecosystem behind new and emerging consumer packaged goods brands—the organization provides partnership, networking, training, and development opportunities for startups in this space.
Head Office Location: New York, NY
Job Location: Remote (US)
Geographical Operating Area: North America
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
For the Job Seekers
Did you come across a job ad like this? These questions might help you shed some light on what working there is really like:
Is this role actually “senior,” or just a fancy title for a jack-of-all-trades?
What’s the real team structure? Are you walking into a one-person show?
How will success be measured? (Hint: If it’s “do everything,” run.)
What’s the travel really like? Will you need a car, or is expensing an Uber going to be your new hobby?
Is the salary competitive for the workload, or are you being asked to build the plane while flying it?
For the Job-Seeker Seekers
Are you writing a job ad for a similar role? Consider these hidden issues that might impact the success of your recruitment campaign.
Issues this job posting creates:
Unrealistic workload: Combining sales, ops, events, and team leadership in one role guarantees burnout.
Lack of clarity: Vague team structure and reporting lines create confusion and inefficiency.
Scaling by cloning: Hiring someone just like you amplifies your blind spots and limits growth.
Travel without support: 20-30% travel with no mention of logistics (car, equipment, etc.) is a recipe for surprises.
How to fix it:
Split the role: Divide responsibilities into distinct functions (e.g., sales, ops, events) to avoid overload.
Define the team: Be transparent about who exists, who you’re hiring, and what the org chart looks like.
Hire for gaps: Identify what you’re not good at and find someone who excels there.
Clarify travel expectations: Specify requirements (car, lifting, etc.) upfront to avoid mismatches.
The Verdict
Jennifer Houle:
7 / 10 (Job Ad)
5 / 10 (Role Design)
The job ad wasn’t bad… I’ve seen worse. I’ve seen better, but I’ve seen worse. There was some duplication of information—for instance, why did we restate the desired qualifications in a different section? The role design was a bit of a furpile though. Too many conflicting responsibilities that didn’t overlap well. This one will end in burnout or dropped balls.
Paul Austin-Menear:
8 / 10 (Job Ad)
6 / 10 (Role Design)
The job ad was nicely structured. Easy to read, no typos, clear language. The person who wrote it obviously sat down and thought about how they were doing to frame what they wanted. Unfortunately, what it seems that they want is a clone of themself. This screams Founder-wearing-all-the-hats, which isn’t going to work out so well for a staff hire (even if titled at a senior level).
Roast the Post is a passion project of Jen Houle and Paul Austin-Menear. The show helps job-seekers and employers get dud job ads out of their lives. We use contributions made on Buy Me a Coffee to help pay for our production costs, and donate anything raised beyond our costs to charity.
