Vice President, Compensation Administration

at  Ares Management

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 looking for an experienced Compensation professional to join the Compensation Administration team within Human Resources. The Vice President, Compensation Administration will be responsible for the support and management of various firmwide compensation processes including the annual compensation planning process, pay equity audits and the compensation data benchmarking process among others. The person in this role is expected to bring compensation best practice insights/knowledge and oversee various projects and process improvement initiatives with the goal of streamlining and driving efficiencies while participating in the implementation and management of various systems. The person in this role will also be actively involved in data management, reporting and analysis across various pay elements including carried interest and equity, and will be involved in workforce planning initiatives. The individual will actively interface with various members of the HR and Finance teams, select business leaders and other approved stakeholders as needed. Developing strong relationships and communicating effectively/proactively will be a critical to success in the role.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business Administration or related field
• Certified Compensation Professional preferred

Experience Required:

• Minimum of 8 years Compensation experience, preferably within financial services industry; experience in asset management a plus
• Global compensation experience preferred
• Experience with Workday and/or Compensation platform(s) preferred

General Requirements:

• Strong technical skills with high proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint; experience with Access or other databases a plus
• Ability to manage both the tactical and strategic aspects of the role
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize deadlines; results-oriented
• Superior written, verbal and presentation/communication skills and a demonstrated ability to create content to a specified audience;
• Capability of interacting with senior stakeholders; a demonstrated track record of interfacing with and integrating feedback from multiple stakeholders to drive and improve complex processes
• Strong team and client service orientation
• High accuracy and detail orientation
• Excellent time management skills and ability to collaborate with others
• Good judgment in terms of escalating issues vs. solving problems independently
• A solutions-oriented, self-starter with ability to see the big picture
• Dependable, great attitude, highly motivated and a team player
• Motivated by a fast-paced, dynamic environment; comfort in dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty
• Strong work ethic, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to learn
• A demonstrated ability to research and leverage available resources to accomplish the task at hand
• An analytical mind and a passion/interest in bringing new ideas for consideration
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately; high integrity

Reporting Relationships
Head of Compensation Administration
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.
$160,000-$200,000
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

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Develop, maintain, and administer various HR compensation processes, systems, reports, and analytics; make and execute related suggestions for improvement
• Serve as the point person for the firm’s annual compensation benchmarking process from both an internal HR and external provider perspective; work in partnership with the business-aligned and region-aligned Compensation Business Partners and HR Business Partners to ensure quality job matching, coordinate submissions across the enterprise and define/facilitate a process to share the survey results in a way that aligns with client needs.
• Serve as the point person for facilitating the Company’s pay equity audits working closely with HR Legal, external employment counsel and the broader Talent Management and Compensation teams
• Produce and maintain firm-wide pay grids in partnership with the business and region aligned Compensation Business Partners; perform audits to ensure pay grids are being properly utilized
• Support the firm’s mid-year and year-end compensation cycles, inclusive of system maintenance and preparation, data validation and creation/maintenance of robust reporting
• Review firm-wide compensation practices to determine consistency in how we are recognizing performance, overall skill set and years of experience; provide recommendations and suggestions, as appropriate
• Serve as a reviewer of individual employee compensation submissions to ensure equity and fairness across the enterprise; partner with the HRBP’s and Compensation BP’s to resolve any concerns
• Facilitate the total rewards data process for the Employee Total Rewards Portal and participate in system implementation to replace current platform
• Design, maintain and communicate firm-wide compensation policies and procedures
• Provide recommendations and share best practices to improve the overall approach, philosophy and impact of our firm-wide compensation programs
• Develop management reports on current practices and identify any potential exposure to the firm
• Complete other related projects and duties as assigned