Principal, Business and Financial 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 seeking an experienced Principal, Business and Financial Management to lead financial management and broader business management activities for the Technology organization. This is a senior, highly analytical role requiring strong financial acumen and a deep understanding of budgeting, forecasting, financial planning and analysis, technology cost management, and financial performance. The individual will be expected to understand Technology financials in detail, identify and explain key drivers and variances, challenge assumptions, anticipate risks and opportunities, and translate complex financial information into actionable insights for Technology leadership.

The role will serve as a key partner to senior Technology leaders and Finance, connecting technology strategy, investments, financial performance, workforce, vendors, and operating priorities. The successful candidate must be able to move comfortably between detailed financial analysis and senior-level strategic discussions and bring rigor, transparency, and forward-looking insight to Technology decision-making.

Reporting relationships

Reports to: COO, Technology

Supervises: Business & Financial Management team, as applicable

Primary functions & responsibilities

• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and multi-year financial planning for the Technology organization, partnering with Technology leaders and Finance to develop detailed, well-supported financial plans.
• Develop a deep understanding of the Technology cost base and its underlying drivers, including compensation, consultants, contractors, software, infrastructure, cloud, market data, professional services, and other external spend.
• Own actuals versus budget and forecast analysis; identify underlying drivers, explain variances clearly, and proactively surface financial risks, opportunities, and required management actions.
• Develop monthly and quarterly forecasts incorporating actual performance, commitments, workforce changes, vendor activity, and evolving business priorities; challenge assumptions to improve forecast accuracy.
• Partner with Finance on monthly and quarterly close activities, including accruals, reclasses, allocations, capitalization, expense recognition, and other financial adjustments; oversee CapEx and OpEx planning and reporting.
• Build financial models, run rate analysis, scenario analyses, and business cases to support Technology investments, cost saving opportunities, workforce decisions, resource allocation (headcount, consultants) and strategic priorities.
• Own executive financial reporting and management reviews, translating detailed financial data into clear insights on what changed, why it changed, what is expected next, and where management action is required.
• Provide financial oversight of Technology vendor and external spend, including commitments, contracts, renewals, forecast impacts, vendor concentration, commercial opportunities, and alignment with Procurement.
• Establish strong financial governance, controls, calendars, and accountabilities; improve data quality and drive simplification, standardization, and automation across financial and business management processes.
• Lead preparation of executive presentations, business communications, town hall materials, and decision-oriented analyses for Technology leadership and other senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business is ideal

Experience Required:

• 15-20 years of relevant experience, with substantial experience in financial management, FP&A, business management, technology finance, or a similar function.
• Deep financial acumen is essential, including demonstrated expertise in budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, financial modeling, management reporting, and understanding complex cost structures.
• Strong understanding of financial statements and accounting concepts, including accruals, capitalization, expense recognition, allocations, and CapEx / OpEx.
• Demonstrated ability to manage large and complex budgets, identify underlying financial drivers, challenge assumptions, and explain financial performance to senior executives.
• Experience developing financial models, scenarios, and business cases to support investment and resource allocation decisions.
• Strong understanding of workforce, headcount, vendor, and external spend management within a Technology organization.
• Experience partnering closely with senior Technology and Finance leaders in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Financial services, asset management, or another complex financial institution environment strongly preferred.

General Requirements:

• Exceptional analytical and financial skills with the ability to get underneath the numbers and translate complex financial information into actionable business insights.
• Executive presence and credibility to discuss and defend budgets, forecasts, assumptions, risks, and recommendations with senior Technology and Finance leaders.
• Forward-looking mindset with the ability to anticipate financial risks and opportunities rather than focus solely on historical reporting.
• Strong attention to detail combined with the ability to operate at an executive and strategic level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and demonstrated ability to create concise, decision-oriented executive materials.

Reporting Relationships

Compensation

$175,000 - $200,000

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.