Graduate - Enterprise Leadership Programme

Royal London; Alderley Edge; Hybrid; GBP 33,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mutual life and investment firm in the UK seeks ambitious graduates for its Graduate Enterprise Leadership Programme, starting in September 2026. This two-year programme offers a £33,000 starting salary, extensive career development, and the opportunity to gain valuable experience across various business areas. Candidates should demonstrate strong communication skills and a proactive mindset, with placements across the UK. A cover letter is required, and an on-site interview will be held in December 2025.

Benefits

£33,000 starting salary

Double-matched pension contributions

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Graduate with a passion for the life, pensions and investment industry.
• Comfortable with technology and data, eager to learn.
• Proactive and driven with strong collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Participate in cross-functional projects that span the full two-year programme.
• Influence how we work by bringing fresh thinking and challenging the status quo.
• Lead and contribute to group initiatives aligned to our strategy.

Skills

Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Problem-solving ability

Ability to manage multiple projects

Adaptability

Intellectual curiosity

Education

Graduate degree

Job description

Overview

Royal London is the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company. We’re owned by our members and work for their benefit, not shareholder profits, which makes us different.

We’re looking for ambitious, creative and intellectually curious graduates to join our two-year Graduate Enterprise Leadership Programme, starting in September 2026. This cross-functional, rotational experience is designed to develop the next generation of enterprise leaders who will shape the future of our business and industry.

What You’ll Gain

• £33,000 starting salary plus performance bonus
• Double-matched pension contributions (up to 14%) and life assurance (up to 8x salary)
• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy/sell up to 5 days
• Private medical insurance and 24/7 access to health, legal and financial advice
• Hybrid working, excellent office facilities, and locational support for placements away from your home office
• Access to inclusion networks, business-wide events, and leadership communities

This isn’t just a graduate programme, it’s a launchpad for future leaders. You’ll join a small cohort of high-potential graduates and embark on a journey designed to build enterprise-wide leadership capability.

Through three structured placements (around eight months each), you’ll gain exposure to our core business areas and contribute to strategic initiatives. You’ll be expected to lead with curiosity, challenge assumptions, and drive change.

Placements may be based at different sites across the UK, so flexibility and openness are key.

In each rotation, you’ll be supported by:

• A dedicated People Leader and Buddy
• A long-term Mentor to guide your development
• A peer cohort for shared learning and collaboration

You’ll:

• Receive targeted learning and development initiatives
• Participate in group initiatives aligned to our strategy and priorities
• Lead and contribute to cross-functional projects that span the full two-year programme
• Analyse data and business inputs to inform decision-making
• Influence how we work by bringing fresh thinking and challenging the status quo
• Build relationships across the organisation and develop the skills to lead teams and initiatives

Who We’re Looking For

• A graduate with a passion for the life, pensions and investment industry
• Comfortable with technology and data, and eager to learn
• Intellectually curious, adaptable and confident in sharing ideas
• Proactive, driven and able to manage multiple projects
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• A natural collaborator with sound judgement and problem-solving ability
• Someone who sees challenges as opportunities and is ready to lead from day one
• You must be available to start on this date and open to placements across our UK sites
• Submit a short cover letter explaining why you’re suited to the programme
• Apply for one role only, based on your preferred location for assessment and initial placement. Your first placement might be at another office location.This application is for the Alderley Park location, close to Manchester.
• If selected, you’ll be invited to an on-site interview and assessment centre in December 2025
• Although this is a two-year fixed term contract, we’ll provide extensive support to help you land an amazing role at the end of the programme

At Royal London, we believe your difference is our strength. If you’re excited about this opportunity but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. You might be the perfect fit for this or other roles.

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve.

We’ve always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance. You can see all our benefits here - Our Benefits

Inclusion, diversity and belonging

We’re an inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.