Associate, Real Estate Asset Management

Job description

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 Role Overview The Associate – Asset Management (Retail & Office) will support the Asset Management team in driving value creation, monitoring performance, and executing business plans across a diversified portfolio with a focus on pan-European retail and offices. The role will partner closely with senior asset managers, investment teams, finance, and third-party operators/servicers to ensure high-quality analysis, reporting, governance, and disciplined execution throughout the asset lifecycle. While reporting to a designated Principal or above, the Associate will work day-to-day with different senior members of the Asset Management team across the portfolio. Based in London, this position supports assets across Europe, working across the full range of strategies and structures (direct holdings, joint ventures, and Co-Invest vehicles). The Associate will contribute to acquisitions onboarding, ongoing asset oversight, financing and refinancing processes, and exit execution, with a focus on rigorous financial analysis, data integrity, and clear communication to internal and external stakeholders. Key Responsibilities Asset Management & Value Creation Manage asset-level business plans in partnership with wider Deal Team and external operating partners, ensuring clear priorities, measurable milestones, and accountability. Monitor operating performance (NOI, occupancy, leasing velocity, renewals, arrears, opex) and proactively address underperformance through agreed action plans. Co-ordinate annual budgeting and Quarterly IRR reforecasting processes with operating partners, ensuring timely delivery, appropriate assumptions, and alignment to portfolio targets. Help identify and execute value creation initiatives including revenue management, ancillary income, pricing optimisation, cost control, and unit/amenity upgrades. Monitor capital expenditure programmes (maintenance and value-add), including scope definition, prioritisation, procurement oversight and delivery tracking. Third-Party Management, Data & Governance Act as a critical Ares’ day-to-day asset management interface with external operating partners, property managers and key third-party service providers. Endorse and maintain governance rhythms (weekly/monthly operating reviews, quarterly business reviews), ensuring clear decision-making and documented follow-ups. Review and advise on partner reporting, KPIs and assumptions to ensure consistent reporting standards across sector is maintained. Prepare materials for weekly/monthly operating reviews and quarterly business reviews, including dashboards, KPI packs, and meeting minutes/action trackers as required. Drive the standardisation of reporting templates and definitions across the sector to enable consistent portfolio aggregation and performance comparisons. Market, Commercial & Portfolio Analytics Maintain awareness of market parameters (rents/pricing, vacancies, supply pipeline, cap rates, comparable transactions) and apply towards actionable insights for business plans. Support valuation processes by compiling inputs, updating cash flow assumptions, and coordinating with third-party valuers where relevant. Maintain awareness on key macro, regulatory and sector-specific developments relevant to the assets and ensure relevant actions for asset strategy and risk management. Prepare ad hoc analysis in support of asset-level decisions (capex prioritisation, leasing/commercial strategies, restructuring options, hedging considerations as applicable). Reporting & Stakeholder Management Prepare recurring asset and deal level reporting packs for internal committees and senior management, including performance highlights, risks, and required decisions. Ensure data quality and version control across models, forecasts and reporting outputs; maintain clear assumptions and supporting backup. Input and reconcile actuals, perform quality checks, and update asset/deal models accordingly to reflect latest performance and revised assumptions. Prepare investor reporting and due diligence requests by coordinating inputs from internal teams and third parties and performing checks for completeness and consistency. Work closely with Investments, Portfolio Management, Finance, Tax, Legal and ESG to support execution across the asset lifecycle and timely resolution of queries. IPD Management Coordinate periodic IPD data submissions across assets (working with internal teams and third parties) and ensure completeness, consistency and timely delivery. Maintain the IPD reporting database, including data quality checks, reconciliations to internal reporting, and documentation of assumptions and methodologies. Acquisition Support Support acquisitions by providing asset-level and market intelligence (rent/occupancy comps, supply pipeline, regulatory considerations and operating benchmarks), contributing to underwriting assumptions and business plan strategy, and coordinating operational due diligence with third-party operators and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless transition into active asset management. Dispositions, Refinancing & Capital Events Support refinancing processes by maintaining lender models/requests, tracking covenant compliance (where applicable), and preparing supporting schedules and analysis. Assist with exit planning and execution, including data room preparation, buyer Q&A coordination, and analysis to support management presentations and investment committee materials. Track delivery of business plan initiatives underpinning valuation and exit narratives, ensuring supporting evidence and documentation are readily available. Assist in exit planning and execution, including broker selection support, data room readiness, buyer due diligence coordination, SPA negotiation and management presentations. ESG, Compliance & Risk Support integration of ESG objectives into business plans by tracking KPIs, compiling data from third parties, and helping prepare internal and external reporting. Assist with sustainability initiatives (energy, carbon, certifications) by coordinating data requests, maintaining trackers, and supporting analysis of capex/opex trade-offs. Support compliance and risk management workstreams by maintaining registers (insurance, H&S, regulatory items), tracking renewals/deadlines, and escalating issues to senior team members. Team & Capability Development Contribute to the development of best practices, playbooks and reporting standards for Retail and Office asset management across Europe. Support knowledge-sharing by documenting processes, maintaining trackers, and proactively surfacing insights from portfolio data. Assist with onboarding of external partners and internal resources as the platform scales. Candidate Profile Experience 3-5 years’ experience in asset management, investment banking, portfolio management, investment management, transaction services, corporate finance, or an adjacent analytical role within financial services and/or real assets. Demonstrable track record of active involvement in business plan execution, operating partner relationships, budgeting/forecasting and value creation initiatives. Experience working across jurisdictions and working with third-party operators, mainly in Western European jurisdictions. Exposure to acquisitions support, refinancing and/or disposition processes across sectors but primarily retail and office. Skills & Attributes Strong analytical skills and attention to detail; able to translate large amounts of information into clear outputs and recommendations. Advanced Excel skills (financial modelling, scenario/sensitivity analysis); comfort with PowerPoint for presenting materials (and familiarity with Power BI or similar is a plus). Commercial judgement and curiosity; proactive in identifying issues, asking the right questions, and proposing solutions. Strong communication and stakeholder management skills; able to work effectively across European geographies with external partners. Organised and reliable, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams in parallel and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Interest in ESG integration and responsible investment practices; ability to support data gathering and reporting requirements. Education & Languages Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Finance, Economics, Business, Engineering or a related field. Ability to travel across Europe required. Fluent in English, additional language skills in particular German, French or Spanish preferred Reporting Relationships Managing Director, Real Estate Equity Asset Management 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.