Associate, Investment Operations

Ares Operations•Los Angeles, NY

About The Position

Ares is seeking an Associate to join its Investment Operations team, based in Los Angeles or New York. Reporting to the Investment Operations - Reconciliation Team, the Associate will independently manage assigned cash, par, and non-custody reconciliation processes; investigate and resolve operational exceptions; perform root-cause analysis; and coordinate with internal teams and external service providers. The role also supports trend analysis, control enhancements, management reporting, and process improvements. The ideal candidate is an accountable self-starter who demonstrates disciplined execution, critical thinking, and a solution-oriented mindset. The position involves collaborating with Portfolio Management, Fund Administration, Treasury, Finance, Technology, Operations, custodians, agent banks, and other service providers to improve end-to-end workflows. It also includes providing day-to-day guidance and knowledge-sharing to Analysts. The anticipated base salary range is $100,000–$120,000, and total compensation may include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field.
3–6 years of relevant experience in investment management operations, investment operations, fund accounting, reconciliation, middle office, custody, or a related control function.
Working knowledge of cash and position reconciliation processes and the investment transaction lifecycle.
Experience independently investigating exceptions, determining root causes, and coordinating resolution across multiple stakeholders.
Knowledge of credit and fixed income products, including bank debt.
Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Understanding of operational risk, control execution, documentation, and escalation discipline.
Strong analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver accurate work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to derivatives, foreign exchange, private credit, or other alternative investments.
Experience with Geneva, Wall Street Office, Power BI, Python, SQL, workflow tools, or reconciliation platforms.
Experience working with custodian banks, paying agents, third-party administrators, or outsourced service providers.

Responsibilities

Own assigned daily cash, par, and non-custody reconciliations across funds and portfolios, ensuring exceptions are investigated, documented, escalated, and resolved within established timelines.
Research and resolve discrepancies with custodian banks, paying agents, third-party administrators, and internal stakeholders.
Perform root-cause analysis across transactions, positions, cash activity, income, fees, corporate actions, accounting treatment, and reference data.
Review administrator and service-provider responses for completeness and appropriately challenge unresolved or unsupported differences.
Monitor aged and recurring exceptions, communicate resolution plans, and escalate material risks or delays with supporting analysis.
Prepare and analyze daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly KPIs covering break volumes, aging, root causes, service-provider responsiveness, and control effectiveness.
Maintain quality controls, procedures, exception inventories, escalation records, and audit-ready documentation.
Support internal and external audits, regulatory inquiries, operational risk reviews, and control-testing activities.
Identify recurring issues and recommend sustainable solutions that address upstream causes and reduce manual intervention.
Contribute to automation, workflow redesign, data-quality improvements, reporting enhancements, system implementations, migrations, and new portfolio or fund launches.
Provide day-to-day guidance and knowledge-sharing to Analysts and promote consistent execution and documentation standards.
Partner with Portfolio Management, Fund Administration, Treasury, Finance, Technology, Operations, custodians, agent banks, and other service providers to improve end-to-end workflows.