Vice President, Compensation Business Partner

Job Description

Ares is looking for a Compensation Business Partner to join the Human Resources team.  The Compensation Business Partner will be responsible for supporting full-cycle compensation activity for assigned business groups.  The individual in this role will regularly partner with the Compensation Administration team, HR Business Partners, Finance Business Partners, the Workforce Planning & Analytics team, and Business Leaders to ensure a competitive compensation approach for the business, taking into account market intelligence, the Firm’s broader compensation strategy, and line of business performance/financial results.  The Compensation Business Partner will be involved in helping to structure new employee offers, evaluate candidate buy-outs, assist with structuring compensation for employee transfers and exits and provide general advice and counsel on role pricing and compensation market trends.  The Compensation Business Partner will also play a critical role in the workforce planning and compensation forecasting process as well as the annual compensation planning process, including carry and co-investment allocations.  Core responsibilities will also include reporting and analytics.  This is a strategic role that requires a combination of deep compensation experience, strong analytical and technical skills, and excellent client management / relationship skills.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS AND ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
 

• Serve as the primary point of contact with assigned client groups to support all line of business compensation needs, partnering with other experts within and outside of HR as needed to deliver exceptional customer service

• Educate leaders, managers and employees on Ares’ Total Compensation approach and key processes/timelines related to compensation, working in partnership with the Compensation Administration, Talent Management teams, and other Compensation Business Partners

• Work with HR Business Partners, leaders and managers in assigned client groups to support the annual compensation process

• Leverage understanding of the assigned business groups and the associated talent pools to make informed recommendations on broader comp strategy/approach as well as individual compensation decisions

• Monitor and review individual compensation decisions to ensure that the Firm is driving consistency in how we recognize performance, overall skill set and years of experience; highlight gaps and make recommendations to address any identified issues

• In consultation with HRBP’s and Recruiters, create and maintain compensation grids and/or ranges (where applicable), modifying as needed based on market intelligence

• Support pay equity audits and the annual compensation benchmarking process, working closely with the Compensation Administration team

• Gather market intel through peer connections, search firms and other relationships to provide enhanced insight where/when needed

• Support the workforce planning and budgeting/forecasting process for assigned client groups

• Assist in structuring candidate offers, evaluating/pricing buyouts and helping to educate/facilitate the compensation offer approval process where required

• Develop, maintain, and share various HR compensation reports and analyses with appropriate stakeholders to drive informative insights to enable leaders to make better decisions

• Ensure compliance with regulatory and other related legal requirements

• Provide leadership, training and support to more junior compensation professionals

• Continuously assess the firm’s programs relative to the market and provide recommendations on how we should be positioned considering industry trends

• Design compensation programs as business needs evolve

• Provide recommendations on overall approach, philosophy and impact of our compensation programs

• Identify other opportunities to reward performance and develop business case to support recommendations

• Complete other related projects and duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: 

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Business Administration or related field

• Certified Compensation Professional Certification preferred

Experience Required:  

• Minimum of 10 years of Compensation experience, preferably within financial services industry; experience in asset management a plus

• Global Compensation experience preferred

• Experience with equity and/or carried interest 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; result 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

• 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 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

Compensation

$175,000-$225,000

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.