Think you know about Actuarial?
As an actuarial graduate you'll have a pivotal role within our business. After all, you'll be responsible for identifying, analysing and quantifying our financial risk and its consequences. To do this, you'll be shown how to study historical data, assess current risks and create models to forecast the future. Whilst the work is highly demanding and challenging, if you're a motivated and ambitious person you won't find a better place to make your name.
What skills will I need?
A high level of numeracy skills and an analytical approach to work is essential. Ideally you'll have a strong maths A-Level (minimum A grade) and studying towards (or hold) a numerate degree. Excellent team-working, communication and interpersonal skills are also required, as is the desire and motivation to carry on studying towards a professional qualification.
What will I be doing?
Depending on which business area you join - Life or General Insurance - the type of work will differ slightly, although the essentials are the same: Our actuaries identify, analyse and quantify financial risk and its consequences by studying data, assess risks and creating models to forecast the effects of commercial decisions.
What can I look forward to?
This is your chance to develop whilst learning from a group of actuaries and analysts in a challenging and inspiring environment. Working here, you'll be part of a respected team who will support you to become fully-qualified within five years.
What kind of work will I be involved with?
Whichever specialist area you're working in, you'll be applying actuarial techniques to support critical commercial decisions and the creative management of our business. This could see you assist with product development, provide financial reporting and modelling, or analyse profitability within business segments.
Will I have a mentor?
To ensure exam time is a little easier you'll have access to mentors who will be able to offer you advice and all the help you need with structuring your exams and revision time.
Is there a study support package available?
We're very serious about investing in our people. As well as receiving support from mentors and many other already qualified actuaries, you can also look forward to a full package, including study materials, tutorials and study leave.
Where will I based?
Depending on which team you join, you'll be working in Swindon, Fareham or Birmingham.
Hear more from Chin-Wook Baek one of our current actuarial graduates.
More about Actuarial
Within General Insurance, we have positions available in the pricing teams of Personal Lines (Fareham), who are dealing with mainly motor and property insurance, and Commercial Lines (Birmingham and Farnborough), who are looking after small and medium-sized organisations. By joining these teams you could find yourself analysing profitability within business segments, improving the approach to customer segmentation, or developing and evaluating market leading rating tools and technologies, whilst applying statistical analysis and modelling skills.
If you join our Actuarial team in Swindon, you can look forward to dealing with Life, Pension and Investment products. Your work here could include anything from pricing new products to providing actuarial support for group-wide projects to financial risk management and modelling, or reserving and financial reporting. Our Actuarial scheme in Life will also give you the opportunity to rotate across our Corporate and Commercial team, adding to your exposure and skills development.
We have now filled our 2012 Actuarial opportunities.
Think you know about Business Change and IT Management? Think you know about IT?
We’re looking for bright, enthusiastic and ambitious graduates to join our Business Change and IT team. As one of our graduate trainees, you can expect very quickly to be working in a role of considerable responsibility – perhaps heading up a workstream in one of our huge business transformation programmes, developing your analytical skills to deliver key insight to inform critical business decisions and working with major strategic suppliers to get the job done.
IT is absolutely at the heart of Financial Services – our customer experience and our success in the market place are driven by the projects which you’ll have the opportunity to deliver. Zurich is investing very strongly in three key strategic transformation programmes to drive competitive edge and deliver our strategy of being one of the top three insurers in our chosen markets.
We’ll help you build a strong portfolio of IT, Change Management and leadership skills to enable you to drive your career in a fast moving, competitive and business focused environment. We’ll give you the support you need to help us shape and drive our use of technology to transform our business. In return, we’ll expect you to make an impact right from the start.
What skills will I need?
You’ll need fantastic communication, organisational and influencing skills, together with real enthusiasm and drive. We’re not looking for people to write programmes, but an IT related degree and a good grasp of technology would be preferable. You’ll also need a good analytical mind with the ability to grasp complex concepts in a business environment.
What will I be doing?
We’ll give you exposure to a number of different roles to help you understand how IT works in our business and to build your portfolio of technical, business and leadership skills. You can expect to get experience in a number of the following areas and support to build the career path you want to follow within Zurich.
Business analysis - you'll work with senior people in the business to carry out requirements and impact analysis, and provide insight into how we can best deliver business solutions.
Technical, Data and Business Architecture: you’ll be instrumental in shaping our approach to our business and systems landscape for the future success of our business, taking a longer term view of how we need to operate to remain strong in our market.
Service and supplier management – we work closely with a number of strategic and local outsourcing partners - you'll be managing these relationships, reviewing their service and negotiating terms.
Project implementation – you’ll be responsible for driving business change and IT projects of varying scope and size, from initiation through to delivery. You might be heading up a critical workstream for one of our major strategic programmes, or have total ownership for a smaller project.
What can I look forward to?
It's entirely up to you – one graduate who started with us just a few years ago is now managing business critical projects worth several million pounds, and some have had the opportunity to work overseas. You could grow into a senior programme manager with responsibility for major strategic change programmes, influence and drive the use of technology across our business or reshape our technical landscape. There are no limits to what you could achieve with the right capability and motivation.
Where will I be based?
You'll be working in Fareham or possibly Farnborough if your application is successful. We’ll be able to help you with advice about best places to live and how to find somewhere if you need to relocate.
More about Business Change & IT Management
We’re looking to develop our technology skills and industry knowledge across both the insurance sector and our business change and IT professions – i.e. in the fields of systems architecture, project management and business analysis. We are starting the wholesale transformation of our IT landscape, and there are enormous opportunities to get involved, develop your career and make a real difference to our business – and enjoy yourself on the way!
We are still looking for enthusiastic and able candidates to join our 2012 programme within our General Insurance business.
Hear more from Andy Norman one of our current Business Change and IT Management graduates.
Think you know about Finance & Accounting?
What makes our programme stand out from the crowd is our excellent track record of turning talented graduates into successful finance professionals. After the two year graduate development programme you'll continue for a third year to further develop your technical skills with a view to achieving your qualified professional status.
What skills are required?
You'll need good numeracy and analytical skills, as well as strong communication and team-work attributes.
What work will I be doing?
We're looking for graduates to join our Life and General Insurance businesses. During the programme you'll experience a number of rotations across both business-facing and corporate finance teams, which includes getting involved in financial accounting and reporting, expense analysis, business partnering or expense analysis.
Will I receive study support?
As well as attaining professional status through a combination of training, development and working experience, you'll also be assigned a mentor to help you gain your CIMA, ACCA or ACA qualification.
Will my development be tracked?
Whilst on the graduate scheme we'll review your progress every six months. The Finance Management Team will also carry out regular reviews to ensure you're getting the most out of the programme.
What will the future hold for me?
We have an excellent track record of producing successful finance graduates. Some of our previous graduates have gone on to run major transformation projects in Switzerland, as well as taken on senior business finance management roles.
Where will I be based?
Depending on which team you join, you'll be working in Swindon, Fareham or London.
More about Finance & Accounting
By joining our Swindon-based Life business you’ll be on a structured rotation programme that will give you a rounded experience of Finance and Accounting. During the programme you could find yourself supporting senior Finance managers, providing them with corporate management information, accounting for smaller Life subsidiaries, or doing cost-benefit analyses for projects and products. The division has a strong culture of empowering people and will give you stretching and challenging opportunities as well as the choice to study towards an ACA or CIMA qualification.
Similarly to the Life business, our Fareham-based General Insurance business offers a scheme tailored to your needs that will give you exposure to the full range of Finance areas. Rotating every six to twelve months, you could be responsible for collating and analysing legal entity financial data, putting together FSA reports, expenses analysis or supporting the wider business in their forecasting, performance planning and decision making. You'll also receive structured support whilst studying towards an ACCA or CIMA qualification.
If you join Global Corporate UK you will be based in London. Similarly to our other business areas the scheme within Global Corporate UK is tailored to your needs and will give you exposure to the full range of areas within Finance and will offer you the opportunity to have end to end responsibility for financial reporting and management accounting. You will also have the choice to study towards an ACCA or CIMA qualification.
Hear more from Paul Chilton one of our current Finance graduates.
We have now filled our 2012 Finance & Accounting opportunities.
Think you know about General Management - General Insurance?
As we continue to build an outstanding talent pipeline for future management and leadership positions, our General Management programme is designed to give you an unrivalled opportunity to test yourself across a variety of functions within the General Insurance business.
The following outlines the home units we are recruiting into, the type of work involved and the placements you can expect to take part in. During the application process (at the telephone interview stage), you will be asked to state a preference for which home unit is of most interest to you.
Claims - This is a significant function within our company and you'll soon discover how the nature of claims can vary from small and straightforward to complex and demanding. The claims environment covers multiple areas such as Fraud, Litigation, and Major Loss and you'll have the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of claims handling from notification and investigation to settling. To thrive in this function you'll need to be a strategic thinker with both strong analytical and commercial skills, combined with the ability to deal with a variety of internal and external clients. Typical additional placements are likely to include Underwriting and Sales.
The Claims positions are based in Fareham and Birmingham.
Commercial Broker – In this customer facing unit you will need to use your customer relationship skills in order to look after and grow our Broker portfolio within a vibrant commercial market place. You can expect to be involved in areas such as Market Underwriting, assessing and understanding risk, negotiating renewals and new business and possibly working with large national brokers.
With a home unit of Market Underwriting in Commercial Broker additional placements would typically be in Claims and Sales. Alongside customer relationship skills, attention to detail and analytical thinking will be key.
Commercial Broker positions are based in Birmingham.
Commercial Broker (Operations) - In this customer facing unit you will gain a broad exposure to a variety of areas with a view to developing into a role within Service Delivery. You can expect to be responsible for delivering service excellence and driving operational improvements across different teams, analysing KPI's, identifying and developing integrated solutions, and driving excellent broker and customer service across all segments. You will have the opportunity to undertake rotations within Technical Operations, BC&IT, Business Improvement and Commercial Broker, enabling you to gain experience to fulfil a wide variety of roles both within Commercial Broker or the Operations function at the end of the program.
The Commercial Broker (Operations) position is based in Birmingham; however UK wide travel will be essential.
Personal Lines – is one of the most sophisticated and competitive insurance markets. You can expect to rotate around the four key business segments of the UK Personal Lines Business such as Motor/Home Insurance; Direct to consumer; High Net Worth and the market leading Yacht and Boat Insurance. As a graduate in this area you will be working closely with the Segment Heads to commercially lead the business channels and will cover a significant variety of markets, propositions & products from mass consumer business models to more specialist and complex offerings developed in the smaller business units. Rotations will take you to Manchester, Brighton and Fareham and it is essential you are flexible to relocate during the graduate scheme. You will need to be proactive and a self-starter, it is a diverse environment and will require you to use your commercial acumen, analytical and organisation skills from the first day.
Pricing - Work at the heart of the business in the team responsible for the pricing of our motor and home insurance. By developing technical analysis and great communication skills, coupled with professional qualification support, you will build a great foundation from which to develop your career. The scheme will expand your business knowledge through rotation within the pricing function, and complementary business areas.
The Pricing positions are based in Fareham.
Operations – By joining the operations programme you will have the opportunity to work with a broad range of teams across the business and gain an understanding of the supplier management processes and monitor operational performance against plan. Whilst in your home Operations unit you will be working in areas such as operational reporting and governance, procurement, processing, sourcing capability, performance management and contract negotiation and outsourcing. Placements in other areas may include Business Change and IT, Claims or a customer facing role.
Key attributes for this function include strong analytical and interpersonal skills along with drive and commitment.
Operations positions are based in Fareham.
Click here to view a matrix, illustrating typical placement rotations that you might undertake; however these may vary depending upon your interests and business demands.
What skills do I need?
If you have strong analytical and communication skills that's an excellent start. If you're self-motivated, capable of liaising with senior stakeholders and making an impact - and you have an interest in financial services - then you're sure to fit in well here.
Is there any study support available?
You will be encouraged and supported to study for your Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) qualification or other professional qualifications depending on which career area you specialise in.
Where can I go in the future?
At the end of the programme, we'll discuss the best way for you to develop and the wide range of opportunities available and how we can support your career path in line with business objectives.
Where will I work?
We have opportunities for graduates in our general management programme at various locations across the UK. You may also have the opportunity to move locations during the programme.
More about General Management
We have three customer facing units structured around our three primary customer groups; Personal Lines, Commercial Broker and Zuirch Municpal.
Personal Lines provides insurance cover to meet customers' home, car and other personal insurance needs. The Personal Lines CFU includes our niche segments of Navigators and General and Zurich Private Clients.
Commerical Broker is structured around customer propositions, which are sold to clients via insurance brokers. Our customer propositions include our Corporate segment - customers with a turnover between £5 million and £300 million and Small and Medium Enterprises - customers with a turnover below £5 million. Commercial Broker also provides tailored insurance solutions to customers in our segments - Construction, Engineering, Real Estate, Community and Social Organisations and Professional and Financial Lines.
Zurich Municipal is the leading provider of risk and insurance solutions to Britain's public services. Handling over 1,000,000 claims every year, we look after: UK Local Authorities, health services, charities and voluntary bodies, social housing associations, educational establishments and specialist public services. Zurich Municipal is dedicated to meeting the needs of the public sector. This means the business is structured to ensure that our customers have access to experienced business managers and consultants in their locality.
Remaining opportunities for the 2012 General Management Programme are within the home units of Commercial Broker (Operations) and Personal Lines.
Think you know about General Management – Life Insurance?
This programme will offer you an unrivalled opportunity to test yourself within every aspect of our Life business before you decide which area to specialise in. Nature and length of rotations are driven by business need and graduate preference, but to give you a flavour, you could spend rotations in areas such as:
Operations - You’ll spend time at the heart of the business to gain an in-depth insight into the running of an insurance company. These could include Underwriting (assessing the likelihood of claims in being made), New Business Illustrations (providing detailed quotes to our IFA’s), or the Governance & Insight team.
Sales - You'll be supporting the sales planning process helping to deliver campaigns and analyse performance. You’ll work with the senior sales team, learning first hand how we launch our propositions and drive.
Product Management & Development - You'll work in Market Intelligence, Customer Insight and Retention, or Strategy and Planning.
Zurich Corporate Pensions - This is a strategic area of Zurich’s corporate business and you will be working as Project Manager, delivering projects to support our clients’ bespoke requirements.
Financial Crime - You’ll gain insight into the regulatory environment surrounding Financial Crime, develop and understanding of the role of the function and obtain important business knowledge around risks and controls.
What skills do I need?
If you have strong analytical and communication skills that's an excellent start. If you're self-motivated, capable of liaising with senior stakeholders and making an impact - and you have an interest in financial services - then you're sure to fit in well here.
Is there any study support available?
In the first two years, you'll be able to study for the Certificate in Financial Planning and underwriting autonomy. After the programme, we'll support your further studies to help you achieve chartered status.
Where can I go in the future?
At the end of the programme, we'll discuss the best way for you to develop and the wide range of opportunities available. At this stage, you may wish to specialise in one of the areas you've experienced or you may want to try something completely different. It's completely up to you.
Where will I work?
You'll be based in Swindon. However, during your six months in Sales you would have to be prepared to travel or work anywhere in the UK.
We have now filled our 2012 opportunities within General Management - Life Insurance.
