Senior Associate, Operational Strategy
Job Description
Ares is seeking a high-performing Senior Associate who supports the Executive Office transformation agenda by managing the details of complex cross-functional programs — workplans, milestones, dependencies, governance materials, stakeholder coordination, business process documentation, and change readiness — while building fluency across alternative investment lifecycles, technology-enabled transformation, and enterprise operating model change.
The Operational Strategy Group supports the Executive Office and serves as the enterprise control tower and nerve center for the firm’s highest-priority transformations bringing together strategy, execution oversight, assurance, and cross-functional delivery to ensure these initiatives move in a coordinated, disciplined, and value-focused way. The team manages complexity across the targeted transformation portfolio, keeps priority programs on track, surface dependencies and risks early, and drive clear decision-making at the executive level. Positioned close to the Executive Office, the team executes enterprise programs across all Ares' lines of business (Credit, Private Equity, Real Assets, and Secondaries) as well as technology, legal, compliance, finance, Sales/Marketing and other functional groups, ensuring that the firm's most operationally critical initiatives are aligned to enterprise priorities, sequenced effectively, and delivering measurable value.
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in a business, finance, or related discipline
Experience Required: 5–7 years of experience in financial services, asset management, management consulting, business operations, transformation, project management, business analysis, process improvement, or technology-enabled change
Experience supporting complex, cross-functional projects involving business, Technology, Operations, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Investor Relations / Sales and Marketing, and/or external vendors
Strong project management skills, including experience maintaining workplans, timelines, milestone trackers, RAID logs, dependency maps, decision logs, status reports, and meeting materials
Experience analyzing and documenting business processes, workflows, systems, controls, requirements, and operating model considerations
Familiarity with alternative investments, including Credit, Private Equity, Real Assets, and Secondaries, with exposure to fund, investor/client, deal, portfolio, or investment lifecycles preferred
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to organize ambiguous information, identify key issues, and synthesize clear findings, recommendations, and next steps
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, polished materials for senior stakeholders
Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive, with the ability to manage competing priorities, deadlines, risks, dependencies, and follow-ups in a fast-paced environment
Strong technical skills, including proficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and Visio; experience with project or collaboration tools such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence, Asana, Monday.com, Miro, or similar platforms preferred
Familiarity with one or more transformation domains is a plus, including client experience and investor transformation, deal pipeline management, allocation and investment workflow transformation, and treasury, banking, or liquidity operations transformation
Pay
The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.
$150,000 - $170,000
The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit. Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.