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

Ares Management is a leading global alternative investment manager with approximately $623 billion of assets under management. The Opportunistic Credit Group invests across the capital structure in complex, special situations, stressed and distressed opportunities, often with the ability to drive meaningful influence or control outcomes. Opportunistic Credit combines rigorous business underwriting with hands-on operational engagement to unlock value in businesses undergoing transformation or inflection.

Within Opportunistic Credit, Portfolio Optimization is responsible for driving value creation across control and highly influential portfolio positions. The function partners with deal teams, boards, and management teams to translate investment theses into measurable value creation plans, institutionalize performance management systems, and stand up transformational capabilities — particularly in data enablement and AI-driven operating models.

Ares is seeking an Associate, Value Creation – Opportunistic Credit to join the Portfolio Optimization team in Los Angeles. The Associate will report directly to the Managing Director, Portfolio Optimization, and will operate in a direct, high-trust apprenticeship model. Working side-by-side with the Managing Director, the Associate will co-develop value creation strategies and independently own execution-heavy workstreams across portfolio companies.

This role is designed for a high-horsepower builder — someone equally comfortable structuring a board-ready KPI framework and rolling up their sleeves to help implement AI-enabled workflows inside traditional businesses.

The Role

Working directly with the Managing Director, Portfolio Optimization, the Associate will help architect value creation plans and lead implementation of priority initiatives across the portfolio. The role requires translating investment theses into practical, sequenced, and measurable actions — and partnering with management teams to drive real execution. This is not a purely advisory role. The Associate will be expected to help design, launch, and scale initiatives that materially impact performance.

Primary Responsibilities

Value Creation Agenda Development

• Partner with investment professionals and management teams to develop and refine value creation plans aligned to the investment thesis.
• Identify the critical operational, financial, and strategic value drivers within each portfolio company.
• Translate high-level strategic objectives into actionable initiatives with clear metrics, ownership, and timelines.

Performance Measurement & Data Enablement

• Design and implement KPI frameworks directly tied to enterprise value creation.
• Stand up or enhance business intelligence capabilities (e.g., dashboards, reporting packages, operating review materials).
• Develop disciplined monthly performance reporting aligned with board-level priorities.
• Help portfolio companies institutionalize data-driven decision-making and operating rigor.

Technology & AI-Driven Transformation (Core Focus)

• Identify and prioritize tech-enabled and AI-driven use cases that improve speed, cost structure, and competitive advantage.
• Co-design and support launch of practical AI applications (e.g., workflow automation, sales enablement, pricing analytics, forecasting, procurement optimization, back-office automation).
• Evaluate and recommend tools across the AI and data landscape, including LLM-based applications, copilots, analytics platforms, and workflow automation solutions.
• Identify and help establish a curated set of trusted third-party partners (e.g., AI specialists, data engineering firms, implementation partners) to support portfolio companies alongside their internal IT teams.
• Work directly with management teams to pilot, refine, and scale initiatives in real operating environments.

Organizational Alignment & Change Enablement

• Ensure initiatives have clear accountability, milestones, and measurable impact.
• Help align talent and organizational structure to key value drivers.
• Support change management efforts required to embed new processes and technologies.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; strong academic performance preferred.
• MBA optional but not required.

Experience

• 2–3 years of experience in management consulting, investment banking, or similar analytical environment and / or 2+ years in an operating role at a technology-enabled or middle-market company, with hands-on involvement in designing and implementing operational or data-driven initiatives.
• Clear evidence of having built, launched, or implemented initiatives — not solely advised on them.

Technical & Analytical Capabilities

• Strong fluency with business intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or similar).
• Comfort structuring KPI systems and performance dashboards from the ground up.
• Working knowledge of the AI tooling landscape, including LLM-based applications and workflow augmentation tools.
• Exposure to implementing AI or automation use cases within a company setting.
• Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills with the ability to synthesize complex data into clear executive narratives.

Personal Characteristics

• High intellectual horsepower paired with pragmatic execution ability.
• Builder mindset; comfortable operating in ambiguous, imperfect environments.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to work effectively with diverse management styles.
• Strong communication skills and executive presence.
• Willingness to travel 2–3 times per month.
• Ability to work onsite in Los Angeles.

Reporting Relationships

Managing Director, Opportunistic Credit, Portfolio Optimization

Compensation

$130,000.00 - $185,000.00

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.