Associate Vice President – DEI Business and Investment Process

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 an expert DEI Associate Vice President to advance DEI initiatives in Ares’ investment platform and business operations. The DEI Associate Vice President will partner with various collaborators including, the Principal, DEI Business and Investment Process Lead, the ESG team, investment professionals, relationship management teams, the Procurement team, and portfolio companies to integrate and implement DEI strategies. He/She/They will cover a workload which includes both on-going responsibilities and project-based work across Ares’ both DEI and broader Corporate Sustainability and Responsible Investment initiatives. See Ares’ 2023 DEI Report and Sustainability Report for more information.

Reporting relationships

Reports to: Principal, DEI Business and Investment Process Lead

Supervises: n/a

Primary functions & responsibilities

In partnership with the Principal, DEI Business and Investment Process Lead (B&IP), the Associate Vice President will be encouraged to:

• Collaborate with the DEI Business and Investment Process Lead to continually define, communicate, and refine our B&IP DEI initiatives

• Partner with DEI Champions to develop and implement DEI strategies within each investment group, and with broader DEI and ESG teams to support firm-wide DEI B&IP initiatives

• Partner with Ares’ Procurement and Investment Operations team to support Ares’ Supplier Diversity initiative

• Support the integration of DEI analysis and relevant data into investment process

• Engage with Ares’ portfolio companies to advise on the implementation of DEI strategies

• Develop scalable tools to assist portfolio companies with DEI integration in line with Ares’ DEI priorities

• Analyze results of annual DEI data collection and create asset class and portfolio-wide dashboards and reports

• Analyze DEI data and frameworks to find opportunities for commercial benefit

• Support management of relationships with DEI external consultants and vendors

• Conduct research and communicate findings on industry trends and frameworks, in addition to ad hoc deep-dive research topics

• Support the maintenance and enhancement of Ares’ DEI capabilities, including staying abreast of industry trends and regulations, and engaging with industry associations

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree required. MBA or equivalent is a plus.

Experience Required:

• 7+ years of work experience in a professional work environment

• Prior experience in Financial Services, Consulting, ESG or Impact Investing is helpful. Alternative asset management experience is helpful.

• Ability to work optimally with a range of stakeholders with varying degrees of DEI knowledge and ‘meet them where they are’ as it relates to incorporating DEI initiatives.

• Prior experience with data analytics and data visualization is preferred

• Strong proficiency in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel

General Requirements:

• Requires strong work ethic, flexibility, excellent communication, writing and social skills, and the ability to prioritize tasks

• Strong analytical and written / verbal communication skills, including synthesizing research and concepts into actionable insights and investor-facing deliverables in a timely manner

• Strategic problem solver with an ability to work independently and proactively; keen eye for detail as well as the ability to focus and drive towards the bigger picture

• Sharp presentation skills, meeting facilitation, interpersonal, decision making and consensus building

• General knowledge of the finance and investment sector, private markets, and corporate operations

• Comfort navigating ambiguity

• Team-oriented and organized, with the proven track record to proactively lead multiple projects with a broad range of partners to deliver results in a multifaceted environment

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

$140,000-$170,000

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.