Associate Vice President, Middle Office (Loan Settlements)

Ares Operations•New York, NY

13h•Onsite

About The Position

Ares is seeking an Associate Vice President to assist with all U.S. loan closing and settlement activities across the firm’s global credit platform. This AVP will assist with the operating model, controls, and execution of syndicated loan settlements—including par, distressed, private credit, and structured products.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field required.
4-6+ years of investment operations experience at a buy-side investment manager or comparable environment.
Expert-level knowledge of syndicated loan closings and settlement practices, including ClearPar workflows.
Advanced proficiency with WSO Admin.
Strong understanding of loan documentation, trade mechanics, and funding processes across leveraged loans, private credit, and CLO structures.
Proven ability to manage high-volume pipelines, tight deadlines, and complex counterparties.
Experience leading teams, overseeing third-party providers, and interacting with senior stakeholders.
Exceptional communication skills—able to coordinate effectively across front office, internal teams, counterparties, and custodians.
Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence, prioritize, and make decisions under pressure.
High attention to detail with a hands-on, execution-focused mindset.
Analytical and process-oriented, with a track record of driving operational improvements.
Strong judgment regarding issue escalation vs. independent problem solving.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment with evolving priorities and deal flow.
Comfortable working in the details while maintaining a firmwide strategic perspective.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CFA, CPA, or equivalent professional credential is a plus.
Familiarity with Allvue/Black Mountain, Everest, Geneva, and IVP preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist secondary loan closings (par and distressed) using ClearPar and internal systems.
Oversee booking, data integrity, and cash/position accuracy in WSO Admin and related platforms.
Define and maintain standard operating procedures, workflow governance, and internal control frameworks.
Monitor daily settlement pipelines, identify funding risks, and proactively mitigate operational and liquidity impacts.
Partner with Legal, Trading, Portfolio Management, Treasury, Accounting, and Compliance to ensure seamless trade lifecycle execution.
Serve as senior escalation point for complex settlement related breaks; personally manage high touch transactions through resolution.
Drive the operational strategy for loan settlements, including process redesign, KPI frameworks, and automation initiatives.
Collaborate with Technology and external vendors on system enhancements, integrations, and workflow optimization.
Lead cross‑functional initiatives to improve scalability as the firm grows its credit platform.
Develop and deliver executive-level reporting on settlement performance, aged items, and pipeline health.