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

The Ares Legal & Compliance Department oversees and manages Ares’ global Legal, Regulatory and Compliance functions and programs. Under the leadership of the Global Chief Compliance Officer, the Compliance and Regulatory functions are comprised of teams that operate collaboratively with a global focus, including Regulatory, which oversees all global regulatory matters including the Advisers Act, Investment Company Act and FINRA; Investment Adviser Compliance, which administers global policies and central compliance and oversight functions; European and Asia Pacific Compliance, which oversees region-specific compliance and regulatory matters; and Financial Crime Prevention, which oversees Ares’ adherence to financial crimes-related rules and regulations.

Ares is seeking an Associate to join its APAC Compliance team in Hong Kong. The individual will focus on handling and supporting the day-to-day regulatory and compliance activities in Hong Kong. This role will also have the opportunity to collaborate with global and regional compliance teams. 

The successful candidate will be a self-motivated individual who is a competent and passionate compliance professional, and a desire to excel and appreciate the exposure and challenges that are provided by the growth and expansion of Ares businesses in the Asia Pacific region and the rapidly changing regulatory and compliance environment. Proactive, detail-oriented professionals capable of managing recurring compliance processes and comfortable working closely with business teams and other supporting functions in a fast-paced environment will be best suited for the role.

Primary Functions & Essential Responsibilities

The individual will focus on handling and supporting the day-to-day regulatory and compliance activities in Hong Kong. Specific responsibilities will include:

• Support the compliance programme in Hong Kong, including the review of employees’ licensing matters, fit and proper assessments, CPT status, and requests relating to personal account dealing, outside business activities, gifts and entertainment, etc.

• Undertake compliance control functions and implement recurring compliance monitoring programme, including the development and completion of recurring trackers and reports to confirm compliance with internal and regulatory requirements

• Prepare regulatory filings and reporting, including licensing applications, notifications, annual returns, and regulatory surveys, and ensure accurate and timely submission as required

• Track, analyse, and communicate regulatory developments and enforcement actions relevant to Ares’ activities

• Support and assist with the coordination of general compliance matters in North Asia ex Japan

• Assist with other strategic and ad-hoc compliance initiatives as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree; Juris Doctor (JD) or other advanced degree considered a plus

• Minimum of 2 years of compliance experience in a regulated financial institution, preferably in asset management

• Good understanding of the Hong Kong regulatory framework for investment advisory and asset management activities, and working knowledge of general regulatory compliance matters, including hands-on experience in code of ethics compliance, SFC licensing, CPT requirements, regulatory reporting, AML/CFT, and compliance monitoring

• Solid understanding of the alternative investment management industry and relevant business activities, preferably with experience in private credit, private equity and/or real assets

• Knowledge of regulatory requirements in US (SEC and FINRA) and other APAC jurisdictions (such as China, Taiwan, Korea) is an advantage

• Self-motivated with strong sense of ownership and accountability, and able to work independently

• High accuracy and extremely detail-oriented

• Ability to manage recurring compliance processes and ad-hoc projects

• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment, multi-task and prioritize deadlines

• Comfort in dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty in a dynamic environment

• Display sound judgment, logical decision making, and a practical, solutions-oriented approach to regulatory issues

• Collaborative with strong interpersonal skills, and ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with cross-functional stakeholders

• Willing to be flexible to coordinate with team members across different time zones

• Excellent command in English

Reporting Relationships

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.