2026 Analyst - Commercial Finance
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
About Ares Management
Ares Management is a publicly traded, leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $572 billion of assets under management and approximately 4,165 employees. Ares seeks to deliver attractive performance to investors across our strategies, including credit, private equity and real estate. The firm is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices across the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.
2026 Analyst – Roles and Responsibilities
We are seeking a highly motivated Asset-Based Lending Analyst. This represents an excellent opportunity for a recent graduate exhibiting strong analytical skills, intellectual curiosity, with an interest in finance and credit investing to join our growing team. As an analyst with Ares Commercial Finance (housed within U.S. Direct Lending), you will gain hands-on experience evaluating middle-market companies, structuring transactions, evaluating collateral, and monitoring loans across a wide range of industries.
You’ll work closely with senior deal team members and credit professionals to support the full lifecycle of an asset-based loan – from underwriting to portfolio management.
Roles and responsibilities include:
Underwriting & Due Diligence:
- Assist in analyzing prospective borrowers’ financial statements, cash flows, and collateral assets (A/R, Inventory, Equipment, Real Estate, and Intellectual Property).
- Conduct market and industry research to support risk assessment.
- Prepare financial models and borrowing base analyses to evaluate lending capacity.
- Participate in due diligence calls and assist with field exams, collateral audits and appraisal reviews.
Portfolio Management:
- Assis Credit Officers with daily portfolio management, risk assessment and credit modification requests.
- Monitor ongoing borrower performance through borrowing base certificates, financial reporting, and compliance tracking.
- Identify trends, risks and red flags in client financial and collateral performance.
- Prepare regular and ad hoc reporting and recommendations for senior management.
Transaction Support:
- Draft internal credit memos, presentations and investment committee materials.
- Assist in legal documentation review and transaction closing processes.
- Support ongoing relationship management with borrowers and advisors.
What We Offer:
- Hands-on training and mentorship from experienced credit professionals.
- Exposure to a wide variety of industries, deal structures and asset classes.
- Opportunity to develop a strong foundation in credit, lending and structured finance.
- Competitive compensation and benefits.
- A collaborative and entrepreneurial culture with room for growth.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration (other majors also considered) with anticipated graduation date between December 2025 and August 2026.
- Strong quantitative, analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Solid understanding of financial statements and corporate finance fundamentals.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook; familiarity with financial modeling a plus.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Team-oriented with a strong work ethic and willingness to learn.
- Looking to begin employment after graduation in August 2026
Location: Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Tarrytown, NY
Compensation: The base salary (subject to change) is $80,000
Accommodations: Relocation stipend
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.
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.