Senior Associate, Financial Planning & Analysis – Real Assets

Ares Operations•New York, NY

About The Position

Ares Management is seeking a Senior Associate to join its Real Assets Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) team, with primary responsibility for the Real Estate business. The role is part of the firm’s Finance organization and partners with Real Assets business leaders, fund and corporate accounting, business operations, and global FP&A colleagues. The Senior Associate will contribute to annual budgeting, monthly and quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning, build and maintain fund-level models, and deliver accurate, clear reporting to senior management. The position calls for a detail-oriented professional who can work with increasing independence in a fast-paced, growing environment and has financial modeling, data, and automation skills, along with an understanding of real estate funds and fee mechanics. The role also involves maintaining reporting tools and processes, analyzing fund- and deal-level information, supporting business partners, and helping improve forecast efficiency through automation and technology. The Senior Associate will take ownership of workstreams and support, train, and mentor Analysts and Associates as the team grows. The position reports to the Associate Vice President, FP&A. The anticipated base salary range is $130,000–$150,000. 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 Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.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, Real Estate, Data Science, or a related field.
5–7 years of relevant experience in FP&A, corporate finance, fund accounting, investment banking, consulting, or Big 4 accounting.
Demonstrated experience building and maintaining financial models, forecasts, and variance analyses.
Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills.
Strong PowerPoint skills.
Strong understanding of financial statements and accounting principles.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attention to detail, with the ability to turn complex data into clear insights.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to senior stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Highly motivated, collaborative team player with a strong work ethic and interest in process improvement, automation, and new technology.

Nice To Haves

MBA or another graduate degree, CFA, and/or CPA.
Experience at an alternative asset manager or real estate investment firm.
Working knowledge of open-end and closed-end real estate fund structures, management fee and incentive fee/carried interest mechanics, and co-investment structures.
Experience with planning and consolidation systems such as OneStream and Anaplan.
Experience with SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or similar tools.

Responsibilities

Support the annual budget, monthly and quarterly forecasts, and long-range plan for the Real Assets business, including consolidating inputs and preparing the P&L.
Build and maintain fund-level models for Real Estate funds and co-investment vehicles, forecasting FPAUM, management fees, other income, and promote or incentive fees.
Forecast and track general and administrative expenses at the vendor level, identify cost-saving opportunities, and partner with business leaders on accountability.
Incorporate projected fund models from Fund Accounting and assumptions about capital raising, deployment, exits, and fee-basis changes into forecasts.
Prepare scenario and sensitivity analyses and respond to ad hoc requests from senior management.
Prepare variance analysis and commentary comparing actuals with forecast, budget, and prior periods, focusing on FPAUM, management fees, other income, and promote.
Produce executive-ready reporting packages, dashboards, and presentations for senior leadership, including forecast calls and business reviews.
Support materials for firm-wide consolidation, board, and senior leadership reporting.
Analyze underlying fund- and deal-level data to explain performance drivers and recommend actions.
Serve as a day-to-day FP&A contact for Real Assets investment professionals, business operations, and regional finance leaders.
Coordinate with Fund Accounting, Corporate Accounting, Investor Relations, and Business Operations to gather, validate, and reconcile key inputs on time.
Build working knowledge of new fund structures, fee terms, and revenue streams and translate them into forecast assumptions.
Collaborate with global FP&A colleagues to align methodologies and maintain consistency across regions and segments.
Maintain and improve financial models, dashboards, and planning tools for accuracy, consistency, and scalability.
Clean, structure, and consolidate data from multiple sources into repeatable reporting processes.
Contribute to automation and AI-enabled initiatives that reduce manual work and improve forecast turnaround time.
Support implementation of new systems and processes, including data collection, testing, and rollout.
Take ownership of workstreams and deliver work independently with a high level of accuracy.
Support, train, and mentor Analysts and Associates as the team grows.