Strategic Transformation Associate

aresmgmt; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Ares is seeking a high-performing Senior Associate to support the Executive Office transformation agenda by managing complex cross-functional programs, including workplans, milestones, dependencies, governance materials, and stakeholder coordination.

The Operational Strategy Group serves as the enterprise control tower for high-priority transformations across all lines of business and functions, ensuring initiatives move with discipline and measurable value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, or related discipline.
• 5–7 years of experience in financial services, asset management, management consulting, business operations, transformation, project management, business analysis, process improvement, or technology-enabled change.
• Strong project management skills, including experience maintaining workplans, timelines, milestone trackers, RAID logs, dependency maps, decision logs, status reports, and meeting materials.
• Experience analyzing and documenting business processes, workflows, systems, controls, requirements, and operating model considerations.
• Familiarity with alternative investments (Credit, Private Equity, Real Assets, Secondaries).

Responsibilities

• Serve as an internal consulting and execution partner to business leaders, corporate functions, and third-party providers.
• Translate high-level objectives into structured workplans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Coordinate transformation initiatives by tracking scope, status, risks, dependencies, decisions, and stakeholder alignment.
• Support business case development, including current-state challenges, future-state vision, benefits, risks, implementation approach, and decision points.
• Synthesize complex information into clear recommendations for process, operating model, system, or organizational changes.
• Prepare executive-ready materials for senior leaders, steering committees, process owners, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage detailed project execution across workstreams, including milestones, ownership, timelines, dependencies, escalation paths, and delivery risks.
• Maintain disciplined program governance, including RAID logs, milestone trackers, decision logs, executive escalation materials, and benefits realization tracking.

Skills

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Organization

Alternative investments familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/finance or related discipline

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Visio

Jira

Confluence

Asana

Monday.com

Miro

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

Job description

Ares is seeking a high-performing Senior Associate to support the Executive Office transformation agenda by managing complex cross-functional programs, including workplans, milestones, dependencies, governance materials, and stakeholder coordination.

The Operational Strategy Group serves as the enterprise control tower for high-priority transformations across all lines of business and functions, ensuring initiatives move with discipline and measurable value.