Analyst, Legal Vendor Strategy & Management at Ares Management · Los…

Summary: Ares Management is a firm driven by its core values and commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment. They are seeking a data-driven Analyst to support the implementation of best-in-class legal vendor and spend management practices, focusing on standardizing evaluations and managing legal service providers to drive cost and performance value. Responsibilities: - Support the development and maintenance of spend reporting, analytics and performance dashboards that support vendor management, budgeting and executive decision-making - Assist with annual budgeting, rolling forecasting and variance analysis in partnership with Legal leadership and Finance and Accounting at the matter, vendor and portfolio levels - Help identify cost drivers and inefficiencies, including pricing gaps, scope creep and demand drivers; recommend corrective actions aligned with sourcing and pricing strategies - Contribute to the preparation and maintenance of vendor scorecards integrating spend, rate discipline, matter mix, AFA usage and performance metrics to enable vendor differentiation and governance - Prepare monthly and quarterly reporting packages highlighting trends, savings opportunities, demand drivers and resource optimization insights for leadership review - Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to enforce data capture standards for vendor, matter, budget and invoice intake at the point of request and billing - Assist in monitoring the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of legal spend and vendor data used for forecasting, sourcing and performance reviews - Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align data inputs and workflows with leadership reporting and decision-making needs - Support reconciliation, testing and system integration activities to enhance data flow and reliability while improve scalability of reporting - Assist with the administration of RFP and vendor sourcing tools, including configuration, data standards and integration with other matter and spend systems - Maintain centralized, up-to-date firm profiles capturing capabilities, pricing models, performance history and areas of expertise to support sourcing and allocation decisions - Support analysis of vendor utilization, sourcing mix, AFA adoption and rate structures to inform strategy and portfolio optimization - Assist with RFPs and competitive sourcing initiatives through data analysis, pricing comparisons and proposal evaluation including scoring and recommendations - Help Track vendor performance against KPIs, including pricing commitments, AFAs and compliance with Outside Counsel Guidelines (OCGs) - Assist in organizing Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with key vendors, including agenda development, performance materials and follow-up actions - Contribute to the maintaining vendor knowledge maps that document firm capabilities, subject-matter strengths, historical matter experience and strategic fit across practice areas Required Qualifications: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Accounting or Data Analytics or equivalent quantitative discipline required - 1-3 years of experience in financial analysis, legal operations or pricing, management consulting or business intelligence, with exposure to spend management, vendor analytics or cost governance, ideally within a corporate or professional services environment - Experience analyzing complex data sets related to spend, pricing or performance and providing actionable insights and reporting - Familiarity with legal technology systems, legal e-billing tools, matter management platforms or law firm practice management systems - Experience with PowerPoint, Excel and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker); experience building automated dashboards, repeatable reporting and effective presentation decks; experience with DAX, Python or SQL a plus - Strong analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to translate data into clear recommendations that support sourcing, budgeting and vendor management decisions - Excellent attention to detail and commitment to data integrity across financial, vendor and matter data - Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to effectively interact with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders - Collaborative, adaptable mindset suited to a transformative, data-driven environment with evolving processes and systems Required Skills: Financial analysis, Data analytics, Vendor management Important Skills: Legal technology systems, Power BI, Excel Nice-to-Have Skills: Collaborative mindset Benefits: 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), Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit, 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