Senior Associate, Corporate Strategy (HR M&A and Transformation)

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 Ares is seeking a high-performing, intellectually curious, and execution-oriented Senior Associate to join the Corporate Strategy Group with a focus on Human Capital M&A, Transformation , and Strategic Projects . This individual will play a key role in executing the firm's most important growth, integration, and transformation initiatives, partnering closely with team members across the organization to drive strategic outcomes and enterprise value creation. The Corporate Strategy Group works directly with Ares' senior leadership and business group heads to evaluate and execute the firm's highest-priority strategic initiatives, including management company acquisitions, strategic partnerships, business expansion, strategic projects , and enterprise transformation initiatives. This role sits at the intersection of Corporate Strategy, Human Resource s (HR) , M&A Integration, Business Transformation , and Project Management . The Senior Associate will help assess potential acquisition opportunities, shape integration strategies, support organizational and workforce transformation efforts, and drive initiatives that enhance scalability, operational effectiveness, technology enablement, governance, and employee experience. The successful candidate will serve as both a thought partner and execution owner , translating complex business objectives into actionable plans while coordinating efforts across HR, Technology, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and other groups as required . The role offers significant exposure to senior executives and the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that shape the future growth and evolution of Ares. This position presents a unique opportunity to combine M&A transaction execution, operating model design and change work , organizational transformation, and enterprise program execution within the firm's most visible and impactful strategic function. Reports to: Managing Director, HR M&A and Project Management Primary functions & responsibilities Human Capital M&A Strategy, Diligence & Value Creation Support the evaluation and execution of acquisitions, strategic investments, and other growth initiatives, with a focus on human capital, organizational, and operating model considerations. Assess talent, organizational structure, compensation, benefits, workforce, culture, and HR technology environments to identify opportunities, risks, integration requirements, and value creation opportunities. Develop executive-level analyses, recommendations, and decision materials to inform transaction evaluation and strategic decision-making. Translate diligence findings into integration priorities, synergy opportunities, workforce strategies, and long-term value creation initiatives. Partner with stakeholders across Corporate Strategy, H uman Resources , Employment Legal, Finance, Technology, and other groups as required to support transaction execution and integration readiness. HR Integration Management & Organizational Transformation Support the planning and execution of complex HR integration programs from pre-close diligence through post-close integration. Drive alignment across functional teams and business leaders to ensure coordinated execution of integration objectives and achievement of key milestones. Lead development of HR integration workplans, governance routines, status reporting, risk management, and dependency tracking frameworks. Support organizational HR integration efforts, including workforce transitions, operating model alignment, HR systems integration, policy harmonization, change management, and synergy realization. Help identify and resolve integration risks, organizational challenges, and cross-functional dependencies to accelerate successful outcomes. Strategic Transformation , Program Management , and Operating Model Evolution Partner with senior stakeholders to shape and implement initiatives that strengthen organizational effectiveness, scalability, governance, and enterprise operating models. Support strategic projects and transformation programs focused on process optimization, technology enablement, workforce modernization, operating model redesign, and organizational change. Design and improve end-to-end workflows and business processes, partnering with stakeholders to clarify roles, decision points, handoffs, controls, and technology enablement in support of more effective and scalable ways of working. Assess impacts across processes, systems, data, roles, governance structures, and stakeholder groups to support effective planning and implementation. Translate strategic objectives into actionable roadmaps , project plans , business cases, and measurable outcomes. Enterprise Program Execution & Continuous Improvement Manage complex cross-functional initiatives through disciplined governance, stakeholder engagement, executive reporting, and program management practices. Prepare high-quality analyses, presentations, dashboards, and recommendations for senior leadership and executive decision-making forums. Support facilitation of workshops, working sessions, steering committees, and stakeholder discussions to drive alignment and decision-making. Enhance M&A methodologies, playbooks, governance frameworks, templates, and execution tools to improve consistency, scalability, and speed of delivery. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify processes, strengthen collaboration, enhance technology adoption, and improve organizational performance. Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree required , preferably in Business, Finance, Human Resources, or a related discipline. Experience Required: 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in investment banking, HR, M&A integration, corporate strategy, strategy consulting or transaction advisory, human capital consulting, transformation, and/or project management. Experience supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives involving HR, Technology, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Operations, business stakeholders, external advisors, and/or vendors. Experience with M&A, integration planning, HR diligence, organizational design, workforce planning, HR operations, HRIS, process improvement, change management, employee transitions, or enterprise transformation preferred. Familiarity with alternative investments, asset management, financial services, private equity, or other complex professional services environments preferred. Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to organize ambiguous information, identify key issues, synthesize findings, and recommend practical next steps. Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholders, deadlines, risks, dependencies, and follow-ups. Advanced Excel and PPT skills; ability to synthesize complex data into executive-ready materials. Experience designing, documenting, and improving workflows and business processes, including assessing current-state processes, identifying opportunities for improvement, and supporting implementation of new or revised ways of working Global Perspective: Ability to operate across multiple regions and cultures. Comfort operating in ambiguous and evolving environments, with a flexible, adaptable approach and a strong collaborative orientation across functions and stakeholder groups. 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. $180,000 - $195,000 / 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.