Vice President, Credit

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 U.S. Direct Lending Group (“DLG”) is one of the largest self-originating direct lenders. With a team of over 230 investment professionals in offices across the U.S., Ares U.S. DLG self-originates investment opportunities in senior secured loans, private high yield, mezzanine and select minority equity investments. Ares U.S. DLG provides investors access to its self-originating direct lending platform through several vehicles, including commingled funds, separately managed accounts and a publicly traded vehicle, Ares Capital Corporation (NASDAQ: ARCC).

Job Function

Ares is seeking a Vice President to join our growing credit platform in Boston, MA. The Vice President position will work closely with the Ares partners and other key members of the investment team on all aspects of the credit platform. Primary responsibilities include underwriting, executing, and negotiating new private credit transactions, with a secondary focus on developing relationships with the private equity community and portfolio management. The position requires junior level relationships with private equity sponsors and capital market participants. The Vice President position will directly interface with clients and lead the internal support staff and junior members of the investment team.  The Vice President position will focus on executing debt financings for leveraged buyouts, acquisitions, recapitalizations, and restructurings, as well as ongoing portfolio management. The ideal candidate will be able to lead and execute transactions from initial deal sourcing through closing. 

Essential Functions

• Strong credit analysis, transaction, structuring, financial modelling, and execution skills
• An expertise in conducting/leading the due diligence process with an understanding of market terms and conditions
• Oversees investment memorandums for deal screening and formal investment committee approval, with ability to present findings to the RCS investment committee
• Ability to run the legal documentation process
• Function as a junior level transactor with private equity (sponsored) and private company (non-sponsored) clients
• Proficiency in building and maintaining excellent client relationships
• Utilize independent research and analysis to generate ideas and recommendations to partners
• Have a long term, value creation and disciplined approach to capital preservation
• Work within a team framework by making the direction, goals and needs of the team a priority
• Mentor junior members of the team

Requirements/Skills

• 6+ years-experience in an underwriting and execution role, focusing on direct lending or credit related transactions
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Finance, Accounting or Economics or an MBA
• Proven ability and highly skilled at developing positive relationships with private equity sponsors, lending partners and internal partners
• A demonstrated track record and expertise with financing across the capital structure including, bank loans, senior unsecured debt, subordinated debt and knowledge of equity securities.
• Excellent track record in deal execution, understands all the phases of the process from sourcing, due diligence, documentation, marketing, and syndication
• Strong understanding of financial accounting with financial modeling experience
• The candidate should have experience working in a rapid paced and challenging environment. The individual will be insightful and a critical thinker who can work well under pressure.
• Specific personal characteristics include:
• Exceptional intelligence and the ability to grasp concepts quickly and interpreting requests
• Self-motivated, driven by the need to succeed, possess energy and enthusiasm and have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong executive presence and respect from peers and clients
• Excellent personal presentation skills with the ability to communicate with all levels of the team
• Demonstrates initiative, a commitment to learning, and the ability to adapt to changing environments
• Highly collaborative; ability to work within a team of experienced professionals

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

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.