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

As an Associate in the Employee Benefits team, you will play a key role in supporting the full lifecycle of the administration of employee benefits programmes across EMEA. This newly created role combines strategic and operational elements, requiring a high level of accuracy, analytical capability, and customer service, as well as the ability to work within structured policies and processes. The Benefits function supports a range of employee offerings, not limited to pensions, medical and dental insurance, life and disability insurances, employee perks, as well as time-off and leave plans.

The successful candidate will work closely with employees, HR Business Partners, payroll, and external vendors to ensure the smooth delivery and administration of benefits programs.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong attention to detail, a good grasp of Microsoft Office applications (particularly Excel and PowerPoint), and experience working with HR systems such as Workday. Success in this role requires the ability to manage multiple priorities, analyse data effectively, and proactively identify opportunities to enhance processes and reporting.

Benefits Administration & Operations

• Support the administration of employee benefits programs, including enrolments, changes, and terminations
• Maintain and update benefits data within HR systems (e.g., Workday)
• Serve as a key point of contact for employee queries
• Coordinate with payroll, HR teams, and vendors
• Support onboarding and offboarding
• Assist with renewals and enrolment cycles
• Ensure accurate documentation

Reporting, Analytics & Compliance

• Produce Excel-based reports and analysis
• Perform audits and data checks
• Support compliance requirements
• Maintain documentation
• Support HR reporting
• Identify process improvements
• Work with internal Technology partners to implement system improvements

Stakeholder Collaboration & Support

• Partner with HR and payroll teams
• Liaise with vendors and brokers
• Support benefits communications
• Drive continuous improvement
• Manage shared inboxes

Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Experience

• 2–4 years in Benefits Administration or HR Operations
• Financial or professional services experience preferred
• Workday experience preferred
• UK or international benefits exposure preferred

General Requirements

• Strong Microsoft Office skills
• Attention to detail
• Analytical mindset
• Strong communication
• Ability to multitask
• Confidentiality and discretion
• Collaborative approach

Reporting Relationships

Vice President, International Benefits Manager

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.