2026 Defined Contribution Pensions Investment Advisory Graduate Analyst Programme - Bristol

Isio; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy firm in Bristol is seeking Graduates for their DC Pensions Investment Advisory Program. Successful candidates will prepare performance reports, draft investment strategies, and research providers while studying for a CFA qualification. The role offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and comprehensive study support. Ideal for graduates with strong mathematical skills and a keen interest in finance.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Defined contribution pension scheme

Life insurance

Healthcare benefits

25 days annual leave plus holidays

Flexible benefits package

Comprehensive study support

Qualifications

• Completed an undergraduate degree or equivalent by 1 September 2026.
• Achieved a 2.1 or higher in your degree.
• Good level of self-discipline to balance work and study.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and present DC pensions investment performance reports to clients.
• Draft DC pension investment reports and strategy reviews.
• Research DC pension providers and investment managers.

Skills

Strong mathematical skills

Communication skills

Time management

Education

Undergraduate degree or higher

Job description

Overview

2026 Defined Contribution Pensions Investment Advisory Graduate Analyst Programme - Bristol

Length of programme: Around 3 years to achieve your relevant professional qualification, however you are employed on a permanent basis from the start of your graduate role.

Qualifications you’ll work for: you’ll work for: Charter holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) qualification or equivalent

Location: Bristol

Entry requirements:

• To apply for this role you need to have completed an undergraduate degree or higher level qualification by 1 September 2026 and have achieved a 2.1 or higher. If you are in your final year of university study, we are looking for those on track to achieve this.
• We are open to applications from those studying any subject. Studying towards the CFA or equivalent exams will require strong mathematical skills and a keen interest in financial concepts.
• We are not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position and therefore you will need to be able to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Working as a Defined Contribution (DC) Pensions Investment Advisory Graduate Analyst at Isio

Our Defined Contribution (DC) team is an area of rapid growth within our Pensions Practice, particularly so on the DC Investment Advisory side. We have a large and established range of existing clients but are winning new work on a regular basis – it really is a fast-moving market. Our DC Investment team provides investment consulting services to both trustees and sponsors of Defined Contribution pension schemes, working alongside our wider non-investment DC specialists to provide joined-up advice and effective scheme governance.

Our DC team sits within our wider Employee Benefits business. Here, we provide a range of services to our clients which are all about supporting them with providing the best possible offering to their employees around Employee Benefits. This includes supporting with benefit design, benefits technology, risk and healthcare broking, pensions, workplace savings advice and governance, and employee support. Isio’s aim is to help our clients bring those offerings to their employees into an integrated proposition.

For graduates, it’s the chance to take the first step towards becoming an expert in your field. Challenging and rewarding, working in DC Investment Advisory requires strong communication skills and financial acumen, paired with the ability to take responsibility right from the beginning. Graduates here have the ambition and confidence to take the initiative and develop their own investment ideas. Our environment is one that graduates can thrive in and where getting our best investment ideas into client portfolios, and ultimately delivering better outcomes for members is our priority.

Pension schemes often pose significant financial risks for organisations and trustees, whilst remaining an important part of any reward strategy. Balancing the costs and risks of a pension scheme as well as meeting best practice governance requirements is becoming increasingly complex – yet essential for a business to succeed. The needs of the industry and our clients are ever evolving and at Isio, we constantly look at ways to innovate and develop new solutions to overcome these challenges. You will build your experience and knowledge in:

• Financial Modelling – enabling our clients to better understand the risks and expected returns arising from different investment strategies.
• Investment Performance Analysis – monitoring and reporting on how our clients’ and their members’ DC investment strategies have performed compared to their objectives and the wider market.
• Capital Markets Views – assessing investment opportunities for our clients’ portfolios.
• Fund Manager Selection – helping clients to pick high quality fund managers.
• Implementation and Transition Management – helping clients to implement our advice in the most efficient way.
• DC Provider Selection – advising clients on selecting, implementing and monitoring a DC pensions provider from an investment perspective.

As a Graduate Analyst working in DC Pensions Investment Advisory at Isio you will get involved in:

• Preparing and presenting DC pensions investment performance reports to our clients.
• Drafting DC pension investment reports on fund selection, default strategy reviews and other DC pension investment client reports.
• Researching DC pension providers, investment managers and products.
• Supporting DC pension provider reviews, analysing tender responses and drafting high quality summaries and reports.
• Dealing with queries from DC pension providers and clients over the telephone and email in a timely manner applying judgement as to when issues need to be escalated.
• Sharing knowledge with colleagues throughout the department.

You’ll study for a professional qualification whilst being trained on the job. Your role will see you build up a wide range of knowledge on DC markets and DC investments, through delivering both client work and researching DC pension products and providers.

Training and Development

As an DC Pensions Investment Advisory graduate analyst at Isio, you’ll study for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exams or equivalent. We recognise the challenges and time constraints involved in balancing work and study commitments, so we’ll support you with a study day allowance and tutorials. Additional support will come from:

• Meeting your peers and senior leaders at a Graduate induction event.
• Support with developing key personal and professional behaviour.
• Regular technical training and opportunities to develop wider market knowledge throughout your career within Isio.
• A buddy from your first day to help you settle in.
• A Study Mentor who helps advise and guide students through the study and exam process.
• A Performance Manager to support you with your individual progress and performance.

What we are looking for in Graduates in DC Pensions Investment Advisory

Our success stems from the quality of our team. That’s why you’ll find we’ve an entrepreneurial atmosphere that offers the opportunity for every member to influence the shape and future development of the team.

So, as well as financial and commercial acumen, we look for graduates who are articulate with strong communication skills. It is important to be able to maintain a good level of self-discipline and time management to balance your work while studying for professional exams.

We are looking for individuals who are excited about developing strong client facing and consulting skills and are motivated about achieving commercial targets.

We will also be looking to see how applicants align to our core beliefs:

Power in Partnership

We work in partnership with our clients & each other – building open and trusted relationships. Working together allows us to deliver the best for our clients.

Future Focus

We want to push our industry forward by solving problems in better ways that benefit both our clients & society.

Strength in Difference

We work with diverse perspectives to find better solutions. Working with differences makes us stronger.

People First

We recognise that pensions is a people business. People are the source of Isio’s expertise and it is people’s lives that we affect through our advice

Isio is a people business, and we’re committed to helping our great colleagues gain a wide variety of experience, significant development opportunities and progression through the business. The variety of work that’ll be available to you will enable you to do this.

On top, we also offer:

• A competitive salary
• A defined contribution pension scheme
• Life insurance
• Healthcare benefits
• Income protection
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and two ‘Company’ days – a celebration day for you and an extra day over Christmas, and the option to purchase additional holidays
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) allowance
• Flexible working
• A flexible benefits package
• Comprehensive study support package

You can find out more about Isio and the benefits we offer here. Isio - Careers & Benefits

About Isio

Isio was born in 2020 from the sale of KPMG UK’s Pension Practice to a private equity firm. An industry-leading challenger, we provide diverse expertise spanning Pensions, Investment, Benefits and Wealth to give clients an integrated experience.

Isio is built by challengers, innovators and forward-thinkers, grounded around a vision which strives to deliver greater financial confidence for everyone. We empower and develop those who join us – valuing curious minds and giving people the freedom to outperform. Known and respected for our agility, we harness specialist experience, bold thinking and the desire to push the boundaries of what we can achieve for our clients, from small to blue chip, public to private.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We have offices across the UK and many of our roles offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work to help create a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for any reason at any stage of your recruitment process, please email [e-mail]

What’s next?

Click on ‘apply’ below and follow the simple application process online.