Principal, ESG, Private Equity

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 Management is seeking an experienced and enthusiastic leader to further advance and embed ESG into the Ares Private Equity culture, investment platform, and operations. Based out of the Century City offices in Los Angeles, California, the Private Equity ESG Lead will work in partnership with Senior Leadership, investment teams, Investor Relations, and other internal stakeholders to implement a comprehensive business plan for ESG, as well as ensure that these programs are executed consistently across the team. This position will drive value creation and risk mitigation through high impact ESG initiatives across the private equity platform.

Ares is a flat, flexible, and dynamic organization. The firm fosters a culture of collaboration, entrepreneurialism, integrity and partnership, both internally amongst colleagues and externally amongst clients and other stakeholders. The Ares team operates with a growth mindset, communicates transparently, and cultivates a high-performance and results-oriented environment.

Reporting relationships

Reports to: The Private Equity ESG Lead will report to the Partner and Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), with a dotted line reporting to the co-Head of Private Equity.

Supervises: One junior team member.

Primary functions & responsibilities

The Private Equity ESG Lead will collaborate 1) with professionals across the private equity team to build and execute programs in alignment with the firmwide ESG integration approach and 2) with the Ares ESG team and platform leaders across the firm. They will provide week-to-week support to the Private Equity team on transactions and on engaging with management teams on ESG topics. The Private Equity ESG Lead will also interact regularly with the Ares Investor Relations team in serving external clients and limited partners.

Other specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Help mitigate material ESG risks and/or create value through win-win cost-savings initiatives in portfolio companies. Engage with portfolio company management teams to ensure timely execution of such initiatives.
• Execute bespoke portfolio-wide initiatives in key ESG topics (i.e., health & safety, DEI, climate change, shared prosperity) by some combination of direct effort and mobilizing other members of the team and outside resources to have an impact.
• Partner with other strategies across the platform - especially credit and infrastructure - to export scalable ESG approaches.
• Work closely with client-facing teams to raise the profile and understanding of Ares' ESG strategy and capabilities. Assist with LP ESG due diligence on Ares including answering questions on ESG practices, policies and case studies. LP diligence could include both in-person meetings and help with responses to detailed RFPs.
• Develop a consistent and scalable approach to ESG data collection, validation and reporting for both internal and external stakeholders.
• Engagement and partnership with other internal stakeholders across the firm such as Investor Relations, Strategy & Relationship Management, Human Resources, the DEI Council, and other Employee Resource Groups ("ERGs").
• Build working relationships across the firm with investment, client-facing, product and senior management colleagues, to support strategy implementation and communication.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree required. MBA or equivalent degree in finance, economics or environmental management strongly preferred.

Experience Required:

The successful candidate will have a desire to build upon Ares' existing ESG processes, as well as the gravitas to interact at the highest levels of the organization and its portfolio assets. The Private Equity ESG Lead will be an energetic, passionate leader genuinely inspired by Ares' mission and values. In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:

• Minimum of 10-12+ years of experience in ESG-related business practices, investments, and sustainability, preferably within the financial services industry. Alternative asset investment experience is favored (e.g., how environmental concerns relate to material business risks and opportunities).
• Strong private markets operational orientation and understanding.
• Track record of driving results/impact across an organization. Experience identifying, tracking and reporting on ESG data management and KPIs, including developing systematic processes to ensure consistency and accuracy.
• General knowledge of the finance sector levers for change as they relate to sustainability initiatives.
• Strong networking and relationship building skills with LPs, other relevant external parties (e.g., counterparts at comparable firms, industry leaders, etc.).

General Requirements:

• Outstanding communicator and inspiring leader.
• Strategic thinker 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, negotiation, interpersonal, decision making, consensus building and collaboration ease.

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.

$200,000.00 - $250,000.00

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.