Lead, Portfolio, Data, & Investment Analytics (Insurance Solutions)

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.

Overview

Ares Is Seeking a Full-time Senior Associate Or Vice President To Join Our Dynamic And Growing Insurance Solutions (AIS) Team To Focus On

• Designing, implementing, and operating analytical tools to ensure investment data integrity
• Enhancing and maintaining investment risk and compliance tools, and providing quantitative support for other investment compliance related responsibilities
• Designing, implementing, and operating analytics tools to produce essential portfolio analytics and provide quantitative support for AIS strategic and tactical portfolio management actions

AIS is an in-house team that provides asset management, capital solutions and corporate development services to Ares Management’s strategic initiatives in insurance, including Ares’ life and annuity platform, Aspida.

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.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and operate analytical tools to produce essential portfolio analytics and provide quantitative support for AIS strategic and tactical portfolio management actions, e.g. security level portfolio models, with insurance considerations, for asset rotation during volatility market conditions, or security level insurance oriented assets models to recommend portfolio rebalances for asset-liability liquidity management purposes, etc.
• Integrate any tactical near-term portfolio analytics and data validation efforts with the broader Ares iQ initiative (AIS’s Python-based security level analytics platform for scenario-based insurance ALM, capital management, and financial projections), and contribute to its design, implementation, and validation as required
• Collaborate with other Ares quantitative, operations, and IT resources on Ares iQ and all other analytics initiatives
• Ensure business recommendations from any portfolio analytics effort are well communicated and understood by the CIO / Deputy CIO, members of the portfolio management teams, and other AIS stakeholders
• Develop professional business relationships and partner with portfolio management, actuarial, financial and other Ares / Aspida team members to support AIS analytic needs as required
• Provide mentoring and guidance to junior members on the team as AIS continues to grow
• Enhance and maintain AIS’s investment risk and compliance reporting tool to ensure accuracy of codes and logics with respect to the latest investment guidelines, as well as providing analytics support for other investment compliance related responsibilities
• Design, implement, and operate analytical tools to ensure investment data integrity on a daily basis, leveraging off the existing Clearwater reporting system, e.g. ensure security level market yields, book yields, OAS, duration, convexity, etc. stored in Clearwater are accurate daily

Qualifications

• Knowledge of major life insurance and annuity products viewed as a plus
• High level of integrity enabling the candidate to become a trusted partner to clients and peers
• Professional designations such as CFA, FRM, etc., would be viewed favorably, but not essential
• Comprehensive understanding of bond mathematic concepts such as duration, convexity, option-adjusted spread, z-spread, spread duration, key-rate duration, interest curve building, bootstrapping, etc. are required
• 4+ years of practical experience in portfolio analytics and quantitative support for portfolio management
• Experience and practical knowledge of Clearwater accounting system highly regarded; willingness to learn and use Clearwater and / or other similar investment / accounting systems would be essential
• Knowledge of Docker and Cloud applications (e.g. AWS / Azure) would be viewed favorably
• Comprehensive understanding of modern financial mathematics (e.g. bond mathematics, private equity cash flow models, Monte Carlo simulation in real and risk neutral environment, portfolio constructive techniques) are essential
• An understanding of accounting, regulatory, ALM, risk management and strategic frameworks under which insurers operate, would be viewed favorably, but not required; however willingness to learn and master these concepts would be essential
• 6+ years of quantitative modelling and development experience within a financial services firm, with a focus on insurance companies a plus
• Excellent problem-solving abilities, intellectual curiosity, hands-on, and experience in understanding and solving complex issues
• SQL, Python, MS Excel / VBA required; experience using GIT, VS Code IDE, WSL, and shell scripting languages (e.g. bash) preferable
• Undergraduate and/or advanced degrees in finance, mathematics, engineering and/or computer science preferred

Reporting Relationships

Head of Risk, ALM & Capital Management, Ares Insurance Solutions

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.

$180,000.00 - $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.