Head of HR Technology
Ares Management
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
The Head of HR Technology is a strategic leadership role within the Global Technology team at Ares, responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing the enterprise-wide HR technology ecosystem strategy. This individual will partner with HR and other enterprise stakeholders to champion the implementation of integrated HR systems, driving organizational efficiency, ensuring data integrity, and supporting strategic talent management and informed decisionmaking. They will lead the design, implementation, and optimization of a comprehensive HR technology architecture. The ideal candidate will possess deep domain expertise in HR processes and systems, a proven track record of building and leading high-performing HR technology teams, and the ability to operate at both strategic and executional levels.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
Reports to: Partner, Head of Applications & Data Solutions
Supervises: Global HR Technology team
PRIMARY FUNCTIONS AND ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Vision & Planning
Develop and articulate a comprehensive HR technology strategy and roadmap, with a strong emphasis on user experience, automation, and efficiency, aligned with the firm’s overall business and HR objectives.
Proactively identify opportunities to leverage technology and automation to enhance HR processes and drive value across the employee lifecycle.
Establish and champion a clear set of guiding principles for HR technology investments, architecture, and user experience that align with the HR and enterprise technology strategy.
Collaborate with the Head of HR Operations to establish governance frameworks, including prioritization alignment, intake and evaluation processes, RACI, decision rights, tools, and associated templates.
HR Technology Architecture & Design
Define and own the development of a robust and scalable enterprise HR technology architecture, centered around key platforms such as Workday (HCM, Learning, Recruiting, Performance), proprietary Data Hub, HRSoft, and viaPeople, among others.
Evaluate and select appropriate technologies and platforms for enhancements and new initiatives related to the existing HR technology landscape.
Collaborate with application developers and integration specialists to design, implement, and maintain integrations between HR systems and other enterprise platforms, ensuring efficient and reliable data flow.
Lead and implement HR systems governance practices, ensuring data integrity, security, compliance with all relevant regulations (including data privacy), and internal policies.
Oversee system configuration and build activities within HR platforms, including setting up business processes, workflows, security roles, and data structures to support evolving functional requirements and ensure system integrity.
Address regional discrepancies by proposing architecture and solutions that align with global policies and local requirements.
In partnership with the head of HR Operations, lead technology initiatives for process optimization and automation across HR functions, leveraging system capabilities (e.g., Workday business processes, workflow automation) to reduce manual effort and improve efficiency.
Explore and evaluate emerging AI and machine learning technologies to identify potential applications for streamlining HR processes.
Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
Act as a trusted advisor and subject matter expert (SME) to the HR Leadership Team and other enterprise stakeholders, understanding their needs and translating them into actionable HR technology solutions.
Communicate HR technology capabilities, project updates, automation opportunities, and process changes effectively to technical and non-technical audiences, surfacing risks and providing visibility into day-to-day operations.
Build strong relationships with HR leaders, teams, technology peers, other business users, and external partners (third-party vendors, service providers), ensuring seamless collaboration and value delivery.
Promote the adoption and effective usage of HR systems and standardized, automated processes across the HR organization and the wider enterprise.
Team Leadership & Management
Build, develop, manage, mentor, and inspire a high-performing, geographically diverse HR technology team with clear roles, responsibilities, and career paths to build capability and ensure business continuity.
Champion a 'player-coach' mentality, providing hands-on guidance and mentorship on complex technical challenges and strategic solutioning when needed.
Set clear objectives, provide regular feedback, and support professional growth for team members. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the team.
Effectively manage team capacity, project assignments, timelines, and budgets to ensure the successful delivery of HR technology initiatives.
Establish clear metrics and KPIs for team performance and service delivery, regularly monitoring progress and identifying areas for improvement.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Human Resources, or a related field.
Experience Required
Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience driving HR technology strategy and transformation within large global organizations, ideally in Financial Services, with a preference for Alternative Asset Management.
Minimum of 10+ years of proven leadership experience, managing and developing HR technology teams of 10+ individuals, with a demonstrated ability to influence decisions, foster collaboration, and build a high-performance, transformational culture.
Strong business acumen with a solid understanding of the financial services industry, its unique HR workflows, operational nuances, and compliance requirements.
Deep expertise in core HR technologies, including Workday (HCM, Learning, Recruiting, Performance), HRSoft, Visier, and viaPeople, with hands-on experience in system configuration, optimization, and integration.
Proven capability in architecting and evolving a modern HR technology stack, with working knowledge of agile methodologies and tools such as Jira and Confluence.
Demonstrated experience managing complex HR processes and integrations, including global/regional alignment, data governance, and compliance.
Proven experience elevating and building HR Technology programs and processes and driving change management within a best-in-class organization.
Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead cross-functional collaboration, influence senior leaders, and manage vendor relationships effectively.
Proven ability to operate effectively in a global context, understanding and adapting to diverse cultural norms and regional HR requirements.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on operational excellence, process improvement, and delivering measurable business outcomes.
Reporting Relationships
Compensation
The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.
$285,000-$325,000
The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.
Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.
There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.