Associate Vice President, Valuations

Ares Operations•West Hartford, NY

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Ares Management is seeking an Associate Vice President to join the Secondaries Valuations team within F&A Operations. The professional will play a key role in the preparation, review and reporting of monthly and quarterly valuations for private equity secondary funds, including a publicly traded Regulated Investment Company ("RIC"). The role will lead assigned valuation workstreams, analyze portfolio and fund-level performance, prepare materials for valuation committee review and maintain clear, audit-ready support for valuation conclusions. We are seeking a detail-oriented and analytically strong valuation professional who can operate effectively in a fast-paced, growing environment. The candidate will work closely with onshore and offshore finance resources, investment teams, fund accounting, auditors and senior stakeholders. The role requires strong judgment, ownership of recurring deliverables, the ability to communicate complex valuation matters clearly and a commitment to strengthening controls, standardizing processes and developing junior team members.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics or a related discipline with a strong record of academic achievement.
6+ years of relevant experience in private equity, secondaries, private markets valuation, investment analysis, transaction advisory, fund accounting or a related field; experience should be commensurate with the level of the role.
Strong understanding of private market valuation concepts, financial analysis and the key drivers of investment performance and valuation change.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple recurring deliverables, exercise sound judgment and produce accurate, well-supported work under tight deadlines.
Excellent analytical, organizational and communication skills, with experience reviewing work, coaching junior professionals and partnering with senior stakeholders.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and proficiency in PowerPoint and Word; experience improving or automating data-intensive processes is expected.

Nice To Haves

CPA, CFA or progress toward a relevant professional designation is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as a key member of the Valuation Team responsible for the preparation, review and reporting of monthly and quarterly valuations for private equity secondary funds, including a publicly traded Regulated Investment Company ("RIC").
Lead assigned valuation workstreams from data collection through final reporting, applying sound judgment, maintaining clear support for conclusions and proactively escalating issues.
Review portfolio company and fund-level performance, capital activity, foreign exchange movements, public market changes and other relevant factors to identify and explain period-over-period valuation movements.
Prepare and review valuation analyses, supporting schedules, bridge reporting, variance commentary and materials for valuation committee and other senior stakeholder review.
Partner with onshore and offshore internal resources, investment teams, finance operations, fund accounting, third party valuation firms, and auditors to meet monthly, quarterly and annual reporting deadlines.
Maintain audit-ready documentation of valuation inputs, methodologies, assumptions, review evidence and approval support in accordance with established policies and controls.
Review the work of on and offshore junior team members, provide clear feedback and coaching, and help ensure deliverables are accurate, complete, well-supported and consistently prepared.
Drive continuous improvement by standardizing templates, strengthening controls, improving data quality and identifying opportunities to automate or streamline recurring valuation processes.
Contribute to the development and consistent application of valuation policies, procedures and governance practices across the secondaries platform.
Communicate complex valuation matters clearly and concisely to finance leadership and other stakeholders through written analysis and presentations.