Senior Associate, RFP

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 Summary: Ares Management is seeking a highly motivated, intellectually curious and commercially minded Senior Associate, RFP Writer to join the Global Client Solutions RFP Team. This role sits at the center of the fundraising and investor diligence process, partnering closely with relationship managers, product teams, investment professionals and subject matter experts to deliver compelling, accurate and timely responses to RFPs, RFIs, DDQs and other investor-driven requests. The RFP Writer will help drive high-quality execution across the full response lifecycle from intake and AI-assisted content development through review, production and final delivery, while developing a deep understanding of Ares’ investment strategies, platform capabilities and client needs. The role will have a primary focus on supporting RFP and due diligence activity across Ares’ European Credit platform, requiring the development of deep expertise in European Credit strategies, products, and market positioning. The successful candidate will bring strong writing judgment, project management discipline, attention to detail and the ability to use technology thoughtfully to improve speed, consistency and quality in a fast-paced, global environment. 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. Primary Functions & Essential Responsibilities: Lead and project manage complex RFPs, RFIs, DDQs and ad-hoc investor requests from intake through final delivery, driving timelines, stakeholder engagement, quality control and issue resolution across multiple concurrent priorities. Produce, review and refine high-quality proposal content that is clear, accurate, compliant and responsive to investor needs. Partner with relationship management, product strategy, investment teams, Compliance and subject matter experts to gather inputs, validate messaging and ensure proposal language reflects approved firm standards. Apply strong writing judgment and commercial awareness to tailor responses while maintaining consistency with approved firm messaging. Contribute to process and technology initiatives that improve efficiency, workflow transparency, content governance and response consistency across the global RFP function. Leverage RFP technology platforms, AI-enabled tools, data and reporting capabilities to streamline content development, strengthen content governance and enhance team productivity. Exercise sound judgment when using AI-assisted content by validating accuracy, sourcing, tone and alignment with approved messaging before materials are shared internally or externally. Develop a strong understanding of Ares’ strategies, products, performance data, platform capabilities, and industry best practices to continuously strengthen proposal quality. Act as a solutions-oriented partner and advocate for the RFP process, communicating proactively with senior team members and internal partners under tight deadlines. Serve as a senior reviewer for qualitative and quantitative content, including questionnaires, datasets and consultant database submissions, ensuring accuracy, clarity, completeness and alignment with internal policies. Help guide and mentor junior team members through drafting feedback, quality review, process guidance and day-to-day support. Education: Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university or international equivalent, preferably in a related field (economics, finance, accounting, or marketing). Experience Required: 5-8 years of experience in the financial services or asset management industry, ideally in RFP, investor relations, client service, product strategy, due diligence or a related fundraising support function. Demonstrated experience managing complex written deliverables from intake through final delivery, including drafting, editing, stakeholder coordination, quality control and deadline management. Experience using, implementing or optimizing RFP, proposal automation, knowledge management or AI-enabled workflow tools is preferred. General Requirements: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to translate complex investment, platform and operational information into clear, accurate and persuasive responses. Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage workstreams, timelines, stakeholders and multiple concurrent deliverables. Proactive mindset; able to identify process improvements, adopt AI-enabled tools and enhance team efficiency, content quality and response consistency. High attention to detail and commitment to quality when reviewing written materials, data, performance information and client-facing content. Able to perform under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment while remaining organized and solutions-oriented. Collaborative team player who builds strong cross-functional relationships, demonstrates accountability and communicates proactively. Intellectual curiosity and interest in asset management, investment strategies, private markets and institutional investor diligence. Working knowledge of asset management, private markets or alternative investment products preferred. Experience with Salesforce, PowerBI or AI-enabled workflow, content management and reporting tools a plus. Reporting Relationships Vice President, RFP 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.