Vice President, Operational Excellence (Global Reconciliations)

Ares Operations•Los Angeles, NY

About The Position

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or other business-related discipline
Minimum 10-12 years of investment management operations experience with high emphasis on reconciliation and relevant asset knowledge
Management firms with expertise in Investment Operations and Reconciliation related functions
Strong knowledge of various asset classes, primarily focused in the area of credit/fixed income, derivatives, and FX with an emphasis on bank debt and high yield/alt credit
Strong understanding of the loan industry and standards
Familiarity with standard activities carried out by financial intermediaries such as investment banks, broker/dealers, Prime Brokers, etc.
Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Wall Street Office and Geneva
Extremely detailed oriented with a proven track record for accuracy
Ability and desire to work in a fast pace and dynamic environment often requiring fast solutions to complex problems
Display outstanding written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
A self-starter with excellent verbal and written communication skills
Strong control focus and ability to challenge streamline processes
Problem-solving mindset, willing to roll up the sleeves
Well organized, high attention to detail – role directly informs investment decisions
Ability to follow up and see issues to final resolution
Forward and proactive thinking and ability to find ways to prevent both cash and par breaks
Strong control focus and ability to challenge streamline processes
Ability/Willingness to continuously develop and maintain “next-level” understanding of Ares business philosophy and activities

Nice To Haves

Experience preferred with PowerBI, Python, and other similar technology
Direct experience partnering with the business units to ensure operational efficiency and collaborative outcomes
Experience working with an outsource/offshore service provider
Experience working with custodian and agent banks
Understanding of basic accounting theories
Hedge fund, Credit or Private Equity experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Proactively oversee the cash and par reconciliation team process, providing oversight and guidance and act as first level of escalation for all recon related issues
Assist with the daily management and oversight of the reconciliation process including cash, par and non-custody reconciliations with both custodian bank and paying agents across all funds
Direct fund administrators and custodian banks on solutioning for process related trends and review/reconcile processing output for accuracy while looking for root cause issues
Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly KPIs to track trends and workflow issues
Maintain high standard of quality controls and oversight of the recon process to ensure breaks are escalated and resolved timely
Influencing and participating in decisions on policies/procedures designed to ensure compliance with internal, legal, and regulatory policies and ensure changing business requirements are met
Oversee all audit related inquiries and submissions on behalf of the recon team. Work with internal audit, audit consultants, and external audit on SOC 1 controls and testing
Work with all internal and external stakeholders to improve and enhance recon team workflows
Contribute ideas and recommendations to improve process efficiencies and increase risk mitigation
Participate in meetings representing the recon team and participate in department initiatives such as system enhancements, off hours testing and new business conversions as necessary
Manage relationships with custodian banks, agent banks, and admins