2027 Graduate Programme - Operations

Role name: Operations Graduate

Application deadline: 1 st December 2026 (applications may close earlier due to demand)

Programme start date: September 2027

Eligibility: Final year students graduating in Summer 2027

Who we are:

Rothesay is the UK’s largest pensions insurance specialist, purpose-built to protect pension schemes and their members’ pensions. With over £69 billion of assets under management, we secure the pensions of nearly one million people and pay out, on average, approximately £350 million in pension payments each month.

Rothesay is dedicated to providing excellence in customer service alongside prudent underwriting, a conservative investment strategy and the careful management of risk. We are trusted by the pension schemes of some of the UK’s best known companies to provide pension solutions, including British Airways, Cadbury’s, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Co-Operative Group, National Grid, NatWest, Morrisons and Telent.

At Rothesay, we are striving to transform our industry. We believe deeply in creating real security for the future and our leadership in finding new and better ways to do that is the key to our success. To do that, we need the very brightest original thinkers to bring creativity as well as rigour. Rothesay is a rewarding place to work, where quality people can thrive and prosper. We pride ourselves on the connections our people build, many of whom have been with us for over ten years.

Graduate Programme:

Our UK graduate programme is designed to kick-start careers for ambitious and analytical graduates who want to make an impact. Rothesay is built on a multi-talented, multi-disciplined model, collaborating directly and with singular focus to shape the future. Rothesay’s inclusive and collaborative working environment allows our graduates to build a broad skill-set and shape a strong internal network. We support your development journey, growth in your career, in addition to offering a competitive salary and tailored benefits.

Our 2 year* programme starts with a fundamentals week for the entire graduate cohort, where you will have in depth networking and insight sessions on Rothesay as a whole. From week two, you will join your team for professional integrated learning and start to make meaningful contributions. Throughout your first year, alongside your permanent role, you will be part of an on-site graduate development programme with both technical and business skills training. Our teams run lean, giving you excellent visibility and exposure throughout the business, and we will provide continuous training and upskilling for your future. Rothesay is a rewarding place to work, where quality people can thrive and prosper. Regular reviews will take place to support your learning and development with a formal assessment towards the end of the programme.

This opportunity is open to summer 2027 graduates who are looking to launch into their career within an entrepreneurial environment where talent can thrive and excel.

The role

Operations is a first-line control and support function with a mandate to establish and maintain an effective control environment. As an Operations Graduate, you will help:

Protect our risk and capital position through robust processes and controls

Deliver best-in-class outcomes for policyholders and stakeholders

Enable efficient, scalable growth through data, automation, and continuous improvement

Where you could sit (placements may be made anywhere in Ops)

Installations Analyst:

Deal Onboarding: Support the analysis and onboarding of new BPA transactions onto our in-house administration and payroll systems

Data & Reconciliation: Build configuration files, load scheme data and reconcile system cashflows against historical payroll

Systems Improvement: Help turn business requirements into specifications and test new features, using Excel and Python to prototype ideas

Collaboration: Work closely with Actuarial and Technology teams to deliver transactions

Individual Annuities:

Application Processing: Process new annuity applications from advisers and intermediaries, acting as the main point of contact throughout the customer journey

Continuous Improvement: Use data and automation to refine processes and support new product launches

Market Insight: Feed insights into the Pricing & Distribution teams to keep our products competitive

What you’ll do:

Operate and enhance core controls across payments, trade support, funding, collateral, and data quality.

Monitor contractual and regulatory obligations; support audit and governance activities.

Partner with TPAs, Trading, Risk, Finance, and Technology to resolve issues quickly and sustainably.

Produce accurate MI and reconciliations; investigate breaks and exceptions to root cause.

Support new structures and product launches with fit-for-purpose processes and controls.

Identify and deliver efficiency and cost-saving improvements, leveraging Excel, Python and automation where possible.

Embed Consumer Duty principles in day-to-day decision-making.

Contribute to continuous improvement of policies, procedures, processes and documentation.

Develop and manage project plans to support the onboarding of new clients.

Ensure contractual and customer commitments are delivered on time.

What we offer

A meritocratic, driven and stimulating environment where success and achievement are rewarded

Work with support from leaders in the industry and excellent on-the-job training supplemented with class-based business training where best applied

A competitive starting salary with a performance related bonus

What we are looking for

Education: Minimum 2:1 (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline from a leading university, or equivalent practical experience.

Mindset and behaviours:

Strong problem-solver; comfortable handling ambiguity and prioritising under time pressure.

Creative and curious; keen to challenge and improve processes.

Self-starter with high initiative; reliable team player with strong ownership.

Accuracy and absolute attention to detail.

Skills:

Strong MS Excel (formulas, lookups, pivot tables); aptitude for learning new tools.

Basic understanding of risk management and control principles.

Clear, concise communication; stakeholder management with both internal teams and TPAs.

Numeracy and data literacy; comfort working with large data sets and reconciliations.

Nice to have (not required):

Exposure to financial markets, operations, payments, collateral, or trade lifecycle.

Experience with data analysis/automation tools (e.g., SQL, Python, Power BI/Tableau).

Rothesay competencies:

Technical Skills - Demonstrates strong technical skills required for the role, pays attention to detail, takes initiative to broaden his/her knowledge and demonstrates appropriate analytical skills

Drive and Motivation – Be a self-starter; successfully handles multiple tasks, takes initiative to improve his/her own performance, works intensely towards extremely challenging goals and persists in the face of obstacles or setbacks

Teamwork – Demonstrate evidence of being a strong team player, collaborates with others within and across teams, encourages other team members to participate and contribute and acknowledges others' contributions

Communication Skills - Communicates what is relevant and important in a clear and concise manner and shares information/new ideas with others

Judgement and Problem solving - Thinks ahead, anticipates questions, plans for contingencies, finds alternative solutions and identifies clear objectives. Sees the big picture and effectively analyses complex issues

Creativity/Innovation - Looks for new ways to improve current processes and develop creative solutions that are grounded in reality and have practical value

Influencing Outcomes - Presents sound, persuasive rationale for ideas or opinions. Ta