Principal – Gcs Rfp

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

SUMMARY

Ares Management is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment to join the Ares RFP Team to support marketing and investor relations activities through the completion of Requests for Proposals ("RFPs"), Requests for Information (“RFIs”), Due Diligence Questionnaires ("DDQs”), and ad-hoc queries for clients/prospective investors. The global RFP Team spans across four locations including New York, Los Angeles, London and Mumbai. It delivers high quality materials to support internal and external stakeholders through collaboration with cross-functional partnerships across the firm and the team members are stewards of key information.

The Senior RFP Writer at Ares will lead the completion of RFPs, DDQs, and other queries for clients and prospective investors across various Ares’ strategies. This role also includes both leading the completion of materials as well as managing a sub-team dedicated to a particular subset of funds. This position is key to business development, requiring collaboration with various teams to ensure that responses are compelling, accurate, and timely. The ideal candidate should have strong organizational skills, creative thinking, the ability to meet tight deadlines, excellent communication skills, and the capability to work both independently and as part of a global team. Proven people management, process orientation, and project/time management skills are essential. The ability to think critically and execute strategically within a growing and fast-paced environment is extremely important to the role.

Ares is a flat, flexible, and dynamic organization. The firm fosters a culture of collaboration, entrepreneurialism, integrity and partnership, both internally amongst colleagues and externally amongst clients and other stakeholders. The Ares team operates with a growth mindset, communicates transparently, and cultivates a high-performance and results-oriented environment. 

REPORTING RELATIONSHIP

Reports to: Managing Director, Head of RFP at Ares, Global Client Solutions (New York)

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary functions and responsibilities of this role encompass both written skills and management/leadership skills. The successful candidate will supervise and mentor a team of proposal writers, oversee the creation and submission of high-quality RFPs, and assist with the implementation of strategic plans to optimize team efficiency and effectiveness.

Written Skills

• Supervise and Mentor: Help supervise and mentor a subset of the global team of proposal writers and coordinators, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.

• Oversee RFP Creation: Oversee the creation, review, and submission of high-quality RFPs.
• Collaborate with SMEs: Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) and cross-functional teams to gather necessary information and ensure accuracy and relevance in proposal content.
• Review and Revise Proposals: Conduct thorough reviews and revisions of proposals to ensure clarity and compliance with company policies and client requirements in all RFP submissions.
• Exhibit Strong Communication Skills: Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbally and in writing, and the ability to work directly with senior team members under tight deadlines. Ability to think quickly, digest large amounts of information, come up with a proposal and then execute to completion under tight deadlines and pressure is essential.

Management and Leadership Skills

• Collaborate with Leadership: Work with GCS Operations Head, RFP Head, and other leaders to develop and implement strategic plans for team structure.
• Optimize Processes: Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the RFP team by optimizing processes.
• Leverage Technology: Implement tools and technology to streamline RFP processes and boost productivity.
• Provide Guidance and Support: Offer guidance, training, and support to team members to ensure high performance.
• Monitor Industry Trends: Keep track of industry trends and best practices to continuously improve RFP strategies.
• Track Performance: Monitor and report on RFP team performance metrics and outcomes.
• Resolve Team Issues: Address and resolve any team-related issues or conflicts promptly and professionally.
• Promote Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the team.
• Champion RFP Process: Advocate for the RFP process to internal partners, initiating innovative ideas and creative approaches to increase efficiency and streamline processes in collaboration with the global team.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education: 

• A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably with a major in Accounting, Economics, Political Science, Finance, General Business or Management, and outstanding academic achievement.

General Requirements:  

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to craft and refine materials for content and grammar.
• Proven leadership and management skills, including motivating, coaching, and overseeing direct reports.
• Strong focus on accuracy, with particular attention to both qualitative and quantitative details.
• Ability to prioritize and managing multiple concurrent assignments.
• Strong analytical skills and intellectual capacity to understand and utilize data and information effectively
• Ability to anticipate potential challenges, research solutions, and exercise good judgment in determining when to solve issues independently versus escalating them.
• Strong work ethic and ability to adapt to shifting priorities quickly in a fast-paced environment.

Experience & Skills Required:   

• Minimum of 12+ years of financial industry experience in an investor relations role and experience with due diligence questionnaires and requests for proposals.
• A track record of achievement and increasing levels of responsibility 
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, and experience with Salesforce, Loopio RFP software, Tableau, and PowerBI a plus. 
• Direct report management required 
• Experience leading workstreams and running a team 

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

$200,000 - $225,000 / annum

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.