Senior Associate, Financial Planning & Analysis

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.Job DescriptionAres is looking for a Senior Associate to join the New York Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team. The FP&A team works closely with business stakeholders in all lines of business (as well as various corporate functions.) The team primarily works out of the New York office in partnership with the teams in Los Angeles and London offices. Ares, as an alternative asset manager, has an asset mix which is comprehensive and heavily concentrated in bank debt and directly originated investments. The ideal candidate would have experience working with alternative credit or direct lending funds, extensive knowledge of fund waterfalls and an aptitude for technological data and forecasting solutions. The role requires a dynamic, adaptive, experienced hands-on professional to ensure best practices in a fast-paced rapidly growing environment.Primary functions and essential responsibilitiesThe Sr. Associate will support the VP and broader FP&A team in partnering across our enterprise with fund accounting, corporate accounting, divisional CFOs, senior investment professionals, senior finance leadership, information technology resources and programmers.Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:Credit Segment reporting support across sub-segment Credit investment groups and business operations.Preparation of periodic financial reporting for internal stakeholders.Assets Under Management “AUM” and related metrics public reporting.Database creation and management in support of our enterprise projects – finance and information technology.Financial modeling – in support of enterprise-wide financial and strategic business decisions.Identify and understand business challenges; propose and help create solutions.Partner directly with the finance team to collaborate on metrics, goals, and business reviews.Dive deeply into specific financial data to provide anecdotal insights.Create presentations that provide insightful analysis, identify required action items, and effectively frame decisions to be made.Work closely with accounting to identify and research variances to forecast, budget, and prior-year expenses, proactively identifying opportunities for improvement.Develop and maintain effective relationships with business partners and cross-functional teams at all levels of the organization.Manage the optimization of consolidation and reporting, budgeting/forecasting, and dashboard/analytics software/technology systems to ensure the use of value-added financial tools; including selection of any new software/systems as needed.Lead, manage, motivate, and inspire Operational Finance & FP&A team to effectively embrace and drive objectives, visions, and goals.QualificationsEducation:Bachelor’s degree in Finance or other business-related disciplineMBA preferred but not requiredExperience Required: Minimum of 6+ years of experience in investment management firms with expertise in Investment Operations and Asset Servicing related functionsBasic understanding of Income Statements, Balance Sheets and Cost Center functionality.Expert analytical, data management and financial modeling skills (utilizing Excel and advanced technological solutions)Familiarity with financial planning applications (Oracle, Hyperion, OneStream, Power BI, Anaplan, etc.).Technically proficient with all MS Office applications, especially Excel and PowerPoint.Experience building, maintaining, or working with relationship, hierarchical, SQL or Access databases strongly preferredHedge fund, Credit or Private Equity fund experience and detailed understanding of fund waterfall calculations and mechanicsApplications: PowerBI (Reporting Dashboard), Microsoft Excel, OneStream (Financial Consolidation and Reporting Software), Alteryx, WorkivaGeneral Requirements:Ability to extract meaningful information from extensive research and analysis to effectively present facts and findings in a digestible format, a keen eye for attention to detail.Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.Self-motivated and driven with ability to multitask and to work effectively in a dynamic environment.Genuine interest and passion about understanding the fundamentals of corporate finance and the aptitude to embrace technological workflows enhancements.Team-oriented and collaborative with strong sense of ownershipA self-directed individual with a can-do attitude, willing to work in an energetic, collaborative, and fast-paced environment, proactive in nature, and a proven ability to resolve issues with minimal supervisionProven outstanding communication (written and verbal), presentation, documentation, collaboration, and interpersonal skillsA hands-on approach and ability to synthesize business operation needsAbility to successfully manage multiple priorities and competing demandsHigh accuracy and detail orientationGood judgment in terms of escalating issues vs. solving problems independentlyA solutions-oriented, self-starter and ability to see the big pictureComfort in dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty in a dynamic and fast-paced environmentAbility to be flexible in terms of hours in order to coordinate with team members across various time zonesAn analytical mind and a passion/interest in bringing new ideas to increase efficiency of existing processesDependable, great attitude, highly motivated and a team playerReporting RelationshipsCompensationThe 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.$120,000 - $135,000The 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.There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.SummaryLocation: New York, NYType: Full time