Senior Associate, Corporate Strategy (HR M&A and Transformation)

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 is seeking a high-performing, intellectually curious, and execution-oriented Senior Associate to join the Corporate Strategy Group with a focus on Human Capital M&A,

Transformation

, and

Strategic Projects

• . This individual will play a key role in executing the firm's most important growth, integration, and transformation initiatives, partnering closely with
• team members
• across the organization to drive strategic outcomes and enterprise value creation.
• The Corporate Strategy Group works directly with Ares' senior leadership and business group heads to evaluate and execute the firm's highest-priority strategic initiatives, including management company acquisitions, strategic partnerships, business expansion,
• strategic projects ,
• and enterprise transformation initiatives.
• This role sits at the intersection of Corporate Strategy, Human
• Resource s (HR) , M&A Integration, Business Transformation , and

Project Management

• . The Senior Associate will help assess potential acquisition opportunities, shape integration strategies, support organizational and workforce transformation efforts, and drive initiatives that enhance scalability, operational effectiveness, technology enablement, governance, and employee experience.
• The successful candidate will serve as both a
• thought partner and execution
• owner , translating complex business
• objectives
• into actionable plans while coordinating efforts across HR, Technology, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and
• other groups as
• required . The role offers significant exposure to senior executives and the opportunity to
• contribute to initiatives
• that shape the future growth and evolution of Ares.
• This position presents a unique opportunity to combine

M&A

• transaction execution, operating model design
• and
• change
• work , organizational transformation, and enterprise program
• execution
• within the firm's most visible and impactful strategic function.
• Reports to: Managing Director, HR M&A and Project Management

Primary functions & responsibilities

Human Capital M&A Strategy, Diligence & Value Creation

• Support the evaluation and execution of acquisitions, strategic investments, and other growth initiatives, with a focus on human capital, organizational, and operating model considerations.
• Assess talent, organizational structure, compensation, benefits, workforce, culture, and HR technology environments to
• identify
• opportunities, risks, integration requirements, and value creation opportunities.
• Develop executive-level analyses, recommendations, and decision materials to inform transaction evaluation and strategic decision-making.
• Translate diligence findings into integration priorities,
• synergy
• opportunities, workforce strategies, and long-term value creation initiatives.
• Partner with stakeholders across Corporate Strategy, H uman Resources ,

Employment

Legal, Finance, Technology, and

• other groups as
• required
• to support transaction execution and
• integration
• readiness.

HR Integration Management & Organizational Transformation

• Support the planning and execution of complex HR integration programs from pre-close diligence through post-close integration.
• Drive alignment across functional teams and business leaders to ensure coordinated execution of integration
• objectives
• and achievement of key milestones.
• Lead development of HR integration workplans, governance routines, status reporting, risk management, and dependency tracking frameworks.
• Support organizational HR integration efforts, including workforce transitions, operating model alignment, HR systems integration, policy harmonization, change management, and
• synergy
• realization.

Help

identify

and resolve integration risks, organizational challenges, and cross-functional dependencies to accelerate successful outcomes.

Strategic Transformation

,

Program

Management

,

and

Operating Model Evolution

Partner with senior stakeholders to shape and implement initiatives that strengthen organizational effectiveness, scalability, governance, and enterprise operating models.

Support

• strategic projects and
• transformation programs focused on process optimization, technology enablement, workforce modernization, operating model redesign, and organizational change.
• Design and improve end-to-end workflows and business processes, partnering with stakeholders to clarify roles, decision points, handoffs, controls, and technology enablement in support of more effective and scalable ways of working.
• Assess impacts across processes, systems, data, roles, governance structures, and stakeholder groups to support effective planning and implementation.

Translate strategic

• objectives
• into actionable roadmaps ,
• project plans , business cases, and measurable outcomes.

Enterprise Program

Execution

• & Continuous Improvement
• Manage complex cross-functional initiatives through disciplined governance, stakeholder engagement, executive reporting, and program management practices.
• Prepare high-quality analyses, presentations, dashboards, and recommendations for senior leadership and executive decision-making forums.
• Support facilitation of workshops, working sessions, steering committees, and stakeholder discussions to drive alignment and decision-making.
• Enhance M&A methodologies, playbooks, governance frameworks, templates, and execution tools to improve consistency, scalability, and speed of delivery.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by
• identifying
• opportunities to simplify processes, strengthen collaboration, enhance technology adoption, and improve organizational performance.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree
• required , preferably in Business, Finance, Human Resources, or
• a related
• discipline.

Experience Required

• 5 to 7 years of relevant experience in investment banking, HR, M&A integration, corporate strategy, strategy consulting or transaction advisory, human capital consulting, transformation, and/or project management.
• Experience supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives involving HR, Technology, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Operations, business stakeholders, external advisors, and/or vendors.
• Experience with M&A, integration planning, HR diligence, organizational design, workforce planning, HR operations, HRIS, process improvement, change management, employee transitions, or enterprise transformation preferred.
• Familiarity with alternative investments, asset management, financial services, private equity, or other complex professional services environments preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to organize ambiguous information,
• identify
• key issues, synthesize findings, and recommend practical next steps.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholders, deadlines, risks, dependencies, and follow-ups.
• Advanced Excel and PPT skills; ability to synthesize complex data into executive-ready materials.
• Experience designing, documenting, and improving workflows and business processes, including assessing current-state processes,
• identifying
• opportunities for improvement, and supporting implementation of new or revised ways of working
• Global Perspective: Ability to
• operate
• across multiple regions and cultures.

Comfort

operating

in ambiguous and evolving environments, with a flexible, adaptable approach and a strong col