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 โ particularly in data enablement and AI-driven operating models.
Ares is seeking an Associate, Value Creation โ 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 โ someone equally comfortable structuring a board-ready KPI framework and rolling up their sleeves to help implement AI-enabled workflows inside traditional businesses.
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 โ 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.
Value Creation Agenda Development
Performance Measurement & Data Enablement
Technology & AI-Driven Transformation (Core Focus)
Organizational Alignment & Change Enablement
Education
Experience
Technical & Analytical Capabilities
Personal Characteristics
Reporting Relationships
Managing Director, Opportunistic Credit, Portfolio OptimizationCompensation
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.
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.
aresmgmt