2027 Industrial Placement - Employee Benefits Consulting - Manchester

Why Isio?

Starting your career is about more than finding a job. It's about finding a place where you can learn, grow and make an impact.

At Isio, you'll work on meaningful projects, gain professional qualifications, receive structured development support and learn from experienced colleagues who are invested in your success. We're proud to have been recognised as one of the UK's leading employers for graduates and apprentices, reflecting our commitment to providing an outstanding Early Careers experience.

Find out more about our Early Careers programmes, awards and colleague experiences on our Early Careers website.

Employee Benefits

Our Employee Benefits team plays a central role in Isio’s ambition to broaden our offering beyond pensions. we expect to achieve rapid growth as we take our expertise to market, and we are looking for new talent to join the team.

We provide a range of services to our corporate and institutional clients which are all about supporting them with providing the best possible offering to their employees around Employee Benefits. This includes supporting with key elements including:

• Strategic Employee Benefit design,

• Maximising the use of effective Technology

• Risk and healthcare broking

• Workplace Health and Wellbeing

• Management of Defined Contribution Pensions schemes

This Industrial Placement is an exciting opportunity to build your knowledge of this growing business and develop your understanding of client facing consulting skills.

What does the role entail?

• Involvement in designing and implementing innovative benefit strategies for the modern world whilst understanding the design considerations employers have including cost, risk and best practice.

• Attending client meetings to understand client needs and help their organisation provide a benefit strategy that meets the needs of their employees.

• Analysing employee data and survey results to consider views and circumstances of employees which may result in benefit change recommendations.

• Supporting on projects to review, change or implement specific employee benefits or technology, or to support organisations in communicating with employees.

• Researching benefits and providers and supporting experienced consultants to prepare reports in relation to provider market reviews.

• Drafting employee communications and dealing with employee queries in relation to their benefits – resolving issues and communicating back to employees in a timely manner.

• Supporting the development and updates to our financial wellbeing tools.

• Helping clients with the governance of their benefits (e.g. pensions).

• Developing content for seminars and/or workshops to employees.

• Managing projects to deliver financial coaching sessions to employees.

• Working with experienced consultants in growing the revenue from our current clients through providing high-quality consultancy around their approach to Reward and Benefits.

• Contributing to new business activities including involvement with tender submissions and pitches.

• How to build effective client relationships and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.

• Professional networking

• Working with regulated advisers on strategic pension scheme design covering trust based and contract based environments.

• Supporting pension trustees with ongoing regulatory requirements for defined contribution pension schemes and evolving requirements in the DC regulatory landscape.

• Supporting reviews of pension scheme investment strategy, including undertaking stochastic modelling, portfolio construction, and working with global fund managers to implement new investment mandate.

What we’re looking for

• Clear and consistent written and spoken communication skills

• Strong customer service mindset

• The ability to organise information, priorities and deadlines

• The ability to work with numerical and financial information

• Commercial Awareness

• Passion and excitement for solving problems

• The ability to build effective working relationships

• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients, valuing different perspectives

• Consistent care taken over quality, accuracy and follow-through

• Those that can respond constructively when priorities change

• Those that stay curious and look for better ways to solve problems

• Consistently show respect, fairness and integrity

• High levels of self-discipline to manage time around working and studying for professional qualifications

We will assess these behaviours in a structured and consistent way during the recruitment process.

Previous pensions or consulting experience is not required.

Training and development

You will receive structured learning, practical experience and support from your team.

You will develop technical, business and professional skills through on-the-job learning, formal training and hands-on client work.

Consistent and successful performance and positive engagement in the opportunities offered in this Industrial Placement will lead to an employment offer to return to Isio as a Graduate Analyst in Employee Benefits in 2029.

Length of programme

This placement starts on Monday 28 June 2027 and will continue for 13 months until Friday 28 July 2028.

Location and working pattern

This role is based in our Manchester

Expected office attendance, including the first few months is four days per week minimum in office and then two/three days a week in the office moving forwards.

The working pattern will reflect client, team and learning needs. Reasonable adjustments will be considered where appropriate.

Entry requirements

• You need to be available for full time work from Monday 28 June 2027 - Friday 28 July 2028 and be returning to university for your final year of full-time study in September 2028.

• We welcome applications from people studying any subject

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.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process will include;

• completing an online application form where we will establish your eligibility for this role

• an invitation to complete a ‘Skills that Build’ assessment and numerical reasoning online assessment - more information on this is available here

• online motivation and competency questions requiring video and/or written responses

• a further review of your application assessing your potential to be successful in this role

• an interview, in-person, with Managers in this role in the office you have applied to be based in

We will explain what to expect before each stage. The process will assess your motivation, numerical and problem-solving skills, communication, teamwork and approach to learning. It will not assume previous pensions knowledge.

What’s next?

Click ‘Apply’ and follow the simple online application process.

Accessibility

It’s our vision to foster a diverse, inclusive and equitable environment, which recognises individuals for their unique contribution, celebrates their differences without judgement and is committed to driving measurable change.

Isio promises to make the recruitment process as accessible as possible, giving all candidates the opportunity to shine. We will reduce or remove barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

What reasonable adjustments can we offer?

Adjustments are made on a case-by-case basis, but can include:

• Extra time to complete assessments

• Receiving content in accessible formats

If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made at any stage of the recruitment process, please email: [email protected].