Vice President, Operational Strategy

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 Description

Ares is seeking a versatile and highly motivated Vice President to join the Corporate Strategy – Operational Strategy Group. Operational Strategy brings best-in-class execution discipline and program management rigor to the firm’s most critical transformation initiatives, including M&A integration master planning, enterprise operating model evolution, corporate efficiency efforts, and governance support for senior leadership forums. Working across Ares’ lines of business and business operations functions, the team advances high-priority strategic initiatives through disciplined solution design, enterprise coordination, strong delivery, and scalable execution.

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.

This individual will support and lead workstreams across a diverse portfolio of governance programs, strategic initiatives, operating model redesign efforts, and cross-functional transformation activities. Working closely with the Executive Office, Operational Strategy leadership, and business stakeholders, the Vice President will help structure complex problems, develop recommendations, coordinate program execution, and support implementation efforts across the firm. The role will play a key part in supporting enterprise governance processes, executive decision-making forums, and the delivery of the firm's highest-priority operational and strategic initiatives.

The role requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and exceptional communication and stakeholder management capabilities. The successful candidate will be comfortable partnering across operations, technology, legal, compliance, finance, and investment teams while supporting enterprise governance processes, executive decision-making, and strategic initiative delivery.

Reporting relationships

Principal, Corporate Strategy – Operational Strategy Group

Primary functions & responsibilities

Support governance and executive decision-making

• Support the design, implementation, and ongoing management of governance processes, senior leadership forums, steering committees, and other executive decision-making bodies
• Develop executive-ready presentations, analyses, recommendations, status updates, and discussion materials that provide transparency into key issues, risks, and decisions
• Coordinate agendas, meeting preparation, decision and action tracking, stakeholder follow-up, and related executive communications

Lead and support strategic initiatives

• Lead defined workstreams and coordinate broader strategic initiatives that advance firm priorities and improve organizational effectiveness
• Partner with business and functional stakeholders to develop workplans, define requirements, track progress, and drive execution against agreed objectives
• Support initiative sponsors and leadership teams by identifying dependencies, surfacing risks, and developing practical approaches to implementation

Partner across the organization to build alignment

• Facilitate workshops, working sessions, and stakeholder discussions to gather input, test potential solutions, and support decision-making
• Build strong working relationships across business and functional teams to advance initiative objectives and resolve challenges
• Serve as a trusted partner to stakeholders by providing thoughtful analysis, practical recommendations, and reliable execution support

Support implementation and change adoption

• Translate complex business and operational topics into clear, concise communications tailored to executive and working-team audiences
• Support implementation of new processes, governance structures, operating models, and ways of working
• Contribute to change management, stakeholder communications, training, and adoption activities as needed

Support communications, change management, and implementation

• Translate complex business and operational topics into clear, concise communications tailored to executive and working-team audiences
• Support implementation, change management, training, and adoption activities associated with strategic initiatives and operating model changes
• Contribute to leadership reporting and communications across governance programs and enterprise initiatives

Support special projects and team development

• Contribute to merger integration activities, corporate efficiency efforts, and other high-priority initiatives as needed
• Provide guidance and project support to analysts and associates and contribute to team knowledge-sharing and development

Qualifications

Education:

• A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Business Administration, Management, Political Science, or a related field, with outstanding academic achievement.

Experience Required:

• 10-12+ years of experience in business transformation, operating model design, process improvement, enterprise governance, strategy execution, program management, executive support, business integration, or management consulting
• Demonstrated executive presence and the ability to engage confidently with senior leaders, facilitate discussions, navigate differing viewpoints, and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Experience supporting senior leadership forums, governance committees, steering groups, and executive decision-making processes
• Proven experience supporting and delivering complex cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholder groups
• Experience analyzing and redesigning business processes, organizational workflows, operating models, and governance structures
• Strong understanding of project and program management disciplines, including planning, dependency management, risk management, and stakeholder coordination
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across operations, technology, finance, legal, compliance, investor relations, and investment teams
• Strong knowledge of alternative investments and familiarity with investor, fund, and investment lifecycles
• Structured problem solver with strong analytical and critical thinking capabilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-ready presentations, recommendation materials, and status reporting
• Ability to build relationships, influence outcomes, and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Sound judgment, discretion, and experience handling sensitive and confidential information
• Proactive self-starter with a collaborative mindset and commitment to continuous improvement
• Experience with project and program management tools and methodologies preferred
• Prior experience mentoring junior team members and contributing to team development preferred

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

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.

$200,000 - $240,000 / annum

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.

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.