Vice President, Portfolio Performance, Private Equity

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 Private Equity flagship corporate opportunities funds pursue investments in growth-oriented middle market companies in North America and Europe. Our senior investment professionals average over 21 years of experience investing in, advising, underwriting and restructuring leveraged companies. We seek to invest in high-quality middle market companies in our core industries - Healthcare, Services, Industrials and Consumer - where we can utilize our extensive growth-oriented investing experience, proprietary Value Creation System and our ability to flex into distressed to seek to generate consistent returns across market environments.
Ares is seeking a Vice President to join the Value Creation Team ("VCT") within the Private Equity Group ("PEG") in our Los Angeles, CA office. The VCT's core mission is to create value across Ares' Private Equity portfolio companies and optimize the performance of Ares' Private Equity funds. The VCT is responsible for supporting the identification and prioritization of key value drivers in partnership with deal teams and management, aligning talent to the key value drivers, monitoring performance of portfolio companies, supporting capital deployment efforts, and driving fund-level analytics. The VCT consists of highly experienced professionals, including former executives at successful Private Equity-backed companies, advisors at top consulting firms, and former investment professionals. The Vice President, Portfolio Performance role will be focused on portfolio monitoring, fund-level analytics and executing the performance management function internally. This is an exciting opportunity to join a lean team with high visibility into senior Private Equity leadership.
Primary Functions and Essential Responsibilities:
The Vice President will partner with Private Equity Group (PEG) team members build and manage the PE Performance Management System, which includes the following:

• Track, analyze, and report on portfolio company performance. Drive the Ares PEG portfolio review process and partner with deal teams and VCT to maximize value creation across the portfolio.
• Construct, refine, and communicate complex fund return forecast models to maintain a point of view on optimal portfolio construction and monetization timing.
• Analyzing and prepare recommendations on portfolio construction, buy / sell, and other key investment decisions.
• Managing and training team of junior support staff to support the execution of the Performance Management System.
• Regular review of the effectiveness of current processes and workflow, while proposing and implementing improvements.
• Support cross-functional teams on fundraising workstreams, LP requests / reporting, and other
• Managing and prioritizing workstreams across various stakeholders and functional groups.
• Collaborate with various internal teams at Ares including but not limited to Private Equity leadership and deal team, Value Creation Team, Investor Relations, Finance & Accounting, and ESG

Qualifications:

• The VCT is looking for self-motivated, highly driven individuals with a passion and interest in Private Equity. In addition to strong analytical skills and comfort in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, successful candidates should have:
• Minimum of a B.S. degree in Finance, Economics, or Accounting;

Experience Required:

• 7+ years of relevant experience within a Private Equity firm and / or investment bank;
• Strong financial modeling and Private Equity fund modeling abilities;
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint skills;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of key financial, accounting, and Private Equity concepts;
• Strong knowledge and understanding of valuation methodologies and PE return concepts (IRR, MIC, DPI, etc.)
• Strong knowledge and experience evaluating the performance of Private Equity portfolio companies;
• Intimate knowledge, understanding, and experience of the Private Equity industry;
• Experience with iLevel software a plus but not required;
• Experience within Private Equity secondaries a plus but not required;

General Requirements:

• The ability to work effectively in a collegial, fast moving, demanding, and dynamic environment;
• Creative problem-solving abilities;
• Strong interpersonal skills;
• Ability to lead and train a team of junior support staff;
• Impeccable integrity and trustworthiness; and
• Ability to work onsite at the Ares office 4 days a week

Reporting Relationships
Partner, Private Equity
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.
$200,000-250,000
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.