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Senior Associate, Credit, US Direct Lending

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 Senior Associate to join its U.S. Direct Lending investment team in New York. The Senior Associate will help drive investments across the full lifecycle from origination and underwriting through structuring, documentation, closing and portfolio management. The role provides meaningful exposure to Ares U.S. Direct Lending’s investment committee, senior leadership, management teams, advisors, investors and clients. The successful candidate will be expected to bring outstanding analytical and execution capabilities while developing judgement, communication skills, relationship-management experience and legal-documentation expertise in a fast-paced environment with lean deal teams.

The Senior Associate will play a central role in evaluating, executing and managing investments across the full lifecycle. Working closely with senior and junior investment professionals, the Senior Associate will be expected to maintain a high level of analytical and execution excellence while assuming increasing ownership of investment committee presentations, legal documentation, portfolio oversight and external relationships.

Key Responsibilities

  • Perform detailed fundamental credit analysis that forms the basis for decisions regarding new debt and/or equity investment opportunities.
  • Screen new investment opportunities and develop preliminary perspectives on business quality, industry dynamics, credit risks and transaction structure.
  • Prepare various complex Excel financial models including cash flow analysis, debt sizing, capital structure, downside scenarios and investment returns.
  • Prepare investment committee memoranda and increasingly present key underwriting conclusions, risks and recommendations to the investment committee.
  • Prepare presentations and other materials for internal and external audiences, with increasing opportunities to communicate directly with investors, clients and other stakeholders.
  • Analyze investment performance including maintaining and updating investment valuations and financial models, monitoring company and industry developments, and assessing performance relative to original underwriting.
  • Negotiate and review legal documentation.
  • Lead investment closings.
  • Collaborate with management teams, sponsors and advisors.
  • Manage a substantial portfolio of investments.
  • Review and provide guidance on work completed by junior investment professionals and contribute to their development through day-to-date coaching and feedback.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent
  • Strong intellect with excellent quantitative, financial and analytical skills.
  • 4-5 years of relevant experience from Investment Banking, Private Equity or Credit
  • Experience in Leveraged Finance or Private Credit preferred

Skills/Abilities

  • Self-motivated and driven; ability to work effectively in a collegial, fast moving and demanding environment while managing multiple priorities with limited supervision.
  • Strong investment judgement and problem-solving skills.
  • Collaborative team player who communicates and manages effectively with senior and junior investment professionals as well as key internal and external stakeholders.
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills.
  • Demonstrated ownership, accountability and attention to detail, with the ability to anticipate next steps and independently manage complex workstreams.
  • Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to developing deeper industry knowledge, investment judgement and leadership capabilities.
  • Impeccable integrity and trustworthiness.
  • Advanced MS Excel modeling skills.
  • Advanced MS PowerPoint and presentation-development skills.

Reporting Relationships

Partner, Credit

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.

$170,000.00 - $200,000.00

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.

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