Actuarial Graduate

St. James's Place (SJP) works in partnership to plan, grow and protect our clients’ financial futures. We deliver personalised, face-to-face financial advice to our clients, who trust us to manage their money to reach their goals. We provide this service via the Partnership, a network of qualified, expert advisors. We put financial wellbeing and responsible business choices at the heart of everything we do. We believe in the value of difference and know that diverse teams can help us problem and innovate for clients. We look for people to join SJP to make an impact and to contribute to our culture which is based around long term relationships, doing the right thing, and being the best version of ourselves.

Our comprehensive range of training programmes are tailored to developing early careers at a number of stages. Whether you are looking to gain work experience whilst studying at sixth form or college, or graduating from university, our dedicated Early Careers team are here to support you in driving your career along your chosen path.

• Please note that the application deadline for this vacancy is the 16th December but we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so may close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.  Early applications are therefore advised.
• To help us effectively manage your application, please only apply for one Graduate vacancy. If you are unsure which role is best for you, please contact us to discuss the options.  
• Assessment centres for this vacancy will be run on the 8th January so please ensure you are provisionally available to attend 

About the role

As an actuarial student, you will also study to achieve IFoA qualifications alongside your work, with a generous study package and the support of a team with a long history of helping graduates through these qualifications.

As you work to qualify, you will have the opportunity to rotate through different divisions requiring actuarial expertise, with placements of 18-24 months possible across traditional and non-traditional actuarial areas including Financial and Capital Modelling, Research and Development (R&D), Risk Management, Data analytics and transformation.

This diverse training will allow you to develop a broad range of skills and knowledge to support your technical expertise and help you provide immediate value to each division. The close-knit culture of St James’s Place and history of supporting graduates means you will quickly be welcomed into each team you join and become a valued member, providing technical support using the skills you will develop in data analytics, modelling, report writing and stakeholder management.

A key pillar of our culture is to be the best version of ourselves, and to support you in living that every day you will have the support of your line manager, an actuarial student coordinator and the Early Careers team. All of these people will provide mentorship, guidance and one-to-one support to help you grow. You will also have opportunities to gain exposure to senior leaders in the business, who have so much to share and want to help you, the next generation of leaders, flourish. Most importantly, you will receive the tools and support you need to lay your own outstanding career path and realise your full potential.

You will be involved in

• Drafting reports and communicating with key stakeholders.
• Designing models, redefining processes and crafting efficiencies across the actuarial divisions within SJP, using a variety of data tools to achieve this, including spreadsheets, R and SQL.
• Developing a detailed understanding of SJP products and business model.
• Supporting on the delivery of projects, to allow the business areas and products to function in the most effective and efficient way.
• You'll be involved in conversations with various collaborators within the business to identify the risks they face, so you’ll develop your relationship leadership skills.

About you

If you have achieved or are on track to achieve a 2:2 in any subject you can be considered for the role, provided you have strong mathematical ability. Maths based degrees such as:

Actuarial Science, Maths, Economics, Engineering, Physics and other maths related subjects are desirable, but strong academic achievement in other degrees alongside evidence of numerical ability such as through strong Maths A-level results will also be considered.

You'll need to enjoy problem solving and analytical thinking, in a very mathematical vocation, you will need be confident in mathematical equations and spreadsheet functions.

Flexible working

We understand that employees work best in different ways, at different times and in different environments. We value all of our employees and appreciate that everyone is unique, and at one of many stages within their career. Our people are encouraged to work in a flexible way that suits their lifestyle where it can be accommodated, so please ask the question and start a conversation!

Research tells us that applicants (especially those from underrepresented groups) can be put off from applying for a role if they do not meet all the criteria or have been on an extended career-break. If you think you would be a good match for this role and can demonstrate some transferable experience please apply, regardless of whether you tick every box.

Why work for us?

Our rewards

In addition to an attractive salary and eligibility to participate in the discretionary annual bonus opportunities, you will also receive an excellent benefits package including:

• Non-Contributory Pension – 10% (increasing with length of service) with further pension matching
• Meaningful protection benefits with real value, such as 10X life cover, PHI, and critical illness.
• Best in class terms and conditions including 6 months paid parental leave.
• Private Medical and Dental Insurance
• 28 days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays (based on full-time equivalent) with the option to buy up to an additional 5 days holiday
• Discretionary bonus scheme dependent on company and personal performance, varied by level
• Not applicable to fixed term contracts (standard uplift applies in lieu of the protection benefits)

Our culture

Our culture is the glue that binds us together - It’s one of our biggest assets and one of the biggest reasons for our success. It’s underpinned by core values of doing the right thing, being the best version of ourselves and investing in long term relationships.

We want to embrace a diverse group of backgrounds and experiences to connect with clients, solve problems and innovate. We raise our voice on the things that matter to us and drive change from the front. Contributing to our inclusive culture is vital, ensuring a space for everyone to be their authentic self, no compromises.

In all we do, we consider how our work affects the communities in which we belong. Over 96% of our group employees are involved in supporting our communities through financial education, charitable giving and volunteering. Over 80% of all our employees and Partners donate each month to our Charitable Foundation, which is now the 3rd largest corporate charity in the UK.

SJP is delighted to have signed The Armed Forces Covenant, and we are active members of LGBT Great, 30% club, The Diversity Project, Disability Confident and more! Find out more: https://www.sjp.co.uk/careers/life-at-sjp

What happens next?

Our process is the same for each of our Graduate opportunities, so once you have completed the application form, we will invite you to complete a Job Focussed Assessment (JFA). If successful after the JFA, you will be invited to complete an online video interview and if successful at this stage we will invite you to the final stage of the process, that consists of a face to face assessment centre.

Our team will be in touch. As a business regulated by the FCA we would advise you to familiarise yourself with the conduct regulations and in particular consumer duty obligations prior to an interview with SJP.