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.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities
- Lead complex quarterly and annual financial reviews in line with defined risk tiers, materiality thresholds and review standards.
- Lead and quality-control the review of underlying SPV and PropCo statutory financial statements, including key disclosures, supporting schedules and accounting conclusions.
- Review and challenge trial balances, reconciliations, financial statements, supporting schedules and material movements.
- Assess accounting conclusions, exceptions and control issues, considering their materiality and wider portfolio impact.
- Identify and elevate material, recurring or systemic accounting, reporting and delivery issues.
- Review workpapers and conclusions prepared by Analysts and Associates and provide clear, practical feedback.
- Take ownership of assigned portfolios and ensure reviews are completed accurately and within agreed deadlines.
- Challenge administrators on incomplete, inaccurate or late deliverables and follow issues through to closure.
- Coordinate deadlines, open issues and remediation actions across multiple entities and review cycles.
- Support the Team Lead with workload planning, prioritisation, quality assurance and day‑to‑day delivery.
- Coach Analysts and Associates and contribute to their technical and professional development.
- Support KPI reporting, issue ageing, root-cause analysis, rework monitoring and administrator performance assessment.
- Collaborate with Luxembourg support, European Fund Controllership and other relevant stakeholders.
- Help identify, design and implement technology, automation and AI‑enabled solutions that improve review quality, consistency, scalability and efficiency.
- Contribute expertise to broader team and organisational initiatives relating to systems and internal processes.
Education and Professional Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
- Qualified or semi-qualified CA, CPA, ACCA or equivalent accounting qualification, supported by strong relevant financial statement review experience.
- CFA qualification is advantageous but not required.
Experience
- At least six years of relevant experience in accounting, fund administration, financial reporting or audit.
- Strong financial statement review, reconciliation, analytical review and quality‑assurance experience.
- Experience with real estate, SPV accounting, holding companies, fund structures or multi‑jurisdictional portfolios is preferred.
- Previous experience reviewing the work of junior colleagues or providing coaching is preferred.
- Project management, process transformation or recognised innovation experience is preferred.
- Big Four or comparable audit, financial reporting or fund administration experience is advantageous but not required.
- Experience with Microsoft 365, Power BI, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or Advent Geneva is advantageous.
Technical and General Requirements
- Strong knowledge of accounting principles, generally accepted accounting principles and financial reporting.
- Basic understanding of US GAAP.
- Ability to exercise accounting judgement, challenge conclusions and distinguish material risks from lower‑priority observations.
- Strong analytical, problem‑solving and exception‑identification capabilities.
- Intermediate or advanced Excel skills.
- Strong interest in using technology, data and AI to improve financial review and oversight processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and exercise sound professional judgement.
- Ability to prioritise and manage multiple deadlines in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment.
- Ability to challenge service providers professionally and communicate issues clearly to senior stakeholders.
Candidate Profile
- Experienced, hands‑on reviewer with sound judgement and a strong focus on material risk.
- Highly motivated, proactive and resilient.
- Strong ownership and willingness to follow issues through to final resolution.
- Confident challenging administrators and accounting conclusions.
- Able to distinguish material issues from lower‑risk observations.
- Clear, concise and evidence‑based written communication.
- Comfortable reviewing and coaching less‑experienced colleagues.
- Pragmatic, collaborative and able to work effectively across India and Europe.
- Strong c