Senior Associate, ESG Climate

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 About Ares Ares Management is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients investment solutions across credit, private equity, real assets, and secondaries. We are committed to delivering differentiated, long-term value through disciplined investment processes, deep sector expertise, and strong, collaborative partnerships. Position Summary Ares Management is seeking an experienced and hard-working Climate Senior Associate to own and execute climate change initiatives in Ares’ investment platform and corporate operations. Based out of our New York office, the Climate Senior Associate will partner with internal stakeholders—including the Infrastructure ESG / Climate Strategy Lead, broader ESG team, investment teams, and global marketing teams—as well as portfolio companies and LPs to create value by implementing our firmwide climate strategy. Job responsibilities are expected to be split between (a) portfolio engagement, (b) carbon accounting, and (c) support for other climate initiatives. Specific responsibilities include: Partner with the Infrastructure ESG / Climate Strategy Lead to help shape and operationalize Ares’ firmwide approach to decarbonization and climate risk management. Engage day-to-day with Ares portfolio companies and assets across all business lines to advise leadership, identify value-accretive decarbonization opportunities, and support execution of practical climate initiatives with a focus on operational improvements, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation. Coordinate Ares’ annual financed emissions footprint including data collection, education/training, QA/QC, calculation, analysis, reporting, and management of software vendors (primarily Watershed and Novata). Develop scalable tools to assist portfolio companies and assets in accelerating their decarbonization plans (e.g., playbooks, fact sheets, decks). Support Ares’ external climate-related reporting (e.g., TCFD reporting, LP requests). Support investment professionals to better integrate climate risks and opportunities into the investment due diligence process. Analyze climate-related firmwide risks and work with relevant corporate functions counterparts to establish mitigating practices. Serve as a go-to internal expert on climate topics, providing clear recommendations and practical guidance to internal stakeholders. Support management of relationships with external vendors including consultants, software providers, and sellers of environmental commodities such as RECs and offsets. Perform research on a variety of climate topics including peer efforts, frameworks/standards, regulation, and decarbonization strategies. Support select operational and execution-oriented tasks such as meeting coordination, note taking, event planning, responses to investor RFPs, and assisting the Infrastructure ESG / Climate Strategy Lead and others with development of decks and documents. Qualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree required. Experience Required: Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in climate/ESG-related business practices, investments, and sustainability, preferably within the financial services industry. Alternative asset management experience is preferred. Strong knowledge of climate and carbon—including emissions disclosure frameworks (e.g., TCFD), target-setting methodologies (e.g., SBTi, NZAM), approaches to decarbonization, and management of physical and transition risks from climate change. Technical knowledge and experience specifically in carbon accounting—including basic science, governing frameworks (e.g., GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, PCAF), calculation methodologies, QA/QC, and reporting. This should include ability to conduct advanced analysis in Excel as well as partnering with software vendors to develop analysis (direct software development experience not required). Demonstrated ability to independently toggle between strategic framing and technical/quantitative climate work, including translating complex issues for non-technical audiences. Ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders with varying degrees of climate knowledge and ‘meet them where they are’ as it relates to incorporating climate initiatives. General Requirements: Outstanding communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills—including ability to “influence without authority” in a multi-stakeholder environment. Demonstrated success in managing complex projects or pieces of projects in a matrixed organization and driving measurable results. General knowledge of the finance and investment sector, private markets, and corporate operations. Strong networking and relationship building skills with external parties (e.g., counterparts at comparable firms, industry leaders, etc.). 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, interpersonal, decision making, consensus building and collaboration ease. Reporting Relationships Principal, Infrastructure ESG Lead 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. $160,000 - $180,000 / 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.