Senior Associate, Financial Planning & Analysis – Real Assets

Ares Management Corporation • New York, NY

5d • $130,000 - $150,000

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 team is part of the firm’s Finance organization and works closely with Real Assets business leaders, fund accounting, corporate accounting, business operations, and global FP&A colleagues in Los Angeles, London, and other regional offices.

The Senior Associate will play a hands-on role in annual budgeting, monthly and quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning for Real Assets. The role includes building and maintaining fund-level models and preparing accurate, clear reporting for senior management. The successful candidate will bring financial modeling, data, and automation capabilities, as well as a working understanding of real estate funds and management and incentive fee mechanics. This is a detail-oriented position in a fast-paced, growing environment, with increasing independence and responsibility for workstreams.

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, and strong PowerPoint skills.
• Strong understanding of financial statements and accounting principles.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and attention-to-detail skills, 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 other 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 or 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 annual budgeting, monthly and quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning for Real Assets, 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 quarterly 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 senior-management requests.
• Prepare variance analysis and commentary comparing actuals with forecasts, budgets, 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 reporting, and senior leadership reporting.
• Analyze underlying fund- and deal-level data to explain results 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 these 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 to reduce manual work and improve forecast turnaround time.
• Support implementation of new systems and processes, including data collection, testing, and rollout.
• Own workstreams and deliver work independently with a high level of accuracy.
• Support, train, and mentor Analysts and Associates as the team grows.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical and prescription drug plans.
• Dental and vision plans.
• 401(k) program with company match.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution.
• Basic and voluntary life insurance.
• Long-term and short-term disability insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Commuter benefits for parking and transit.
• Access to a medical advisory team.
• Mental health app with coaching, therapy, and psychiatry.
• Mindfulness and wellbeing app.
• Financial wellness benefit with access to a financial advisor.
• New parent leave.
• Reproductive and adoption assistance.
• Emergency backup care.
• Matching gift program.
• Education sponsorship program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior