Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Location: London 

Start date: September 2026 

Salary: £40,000 

Closing date: Friday 5th June 

Working structure: 4 days in office 

Howden CAP and Tax & Contingent Risk 

Howden CAP (Capital, Advisory and Placement) advises banks, large corporate firms and investment funds on how insurance can facilitate transactions such as investments, loans and acquisitions.  

Within CAP, our Tax & Contingent Risk team specialises in helping clients manage high-value legal, tax and financial risks. We deal with big ‘what if’ risks that would incur a large financial cost if they do happen. Rather than fixing problems after they happen, our team of experts identifies uncertain risks and designs bespoke insurance solutions to transfer those risks to insurers. 

You will be joining a highly technical and deal-driven environment where you will have the opportunity to work closely with private equity funds, banks and large corporates.  

The Graduate Programme 

You will kick start your career in insurance by joining our 2-year rotational programme, completing four 6-month rotations across the following areas: 

• M&A Tax: helps buyers, sellers and investors complete deals by identifying tax risks and using bespoke insurance to remove those risks from transactions. 

• Contingent Risk: protects clients against major future legal, regulatory or tax risks by designing insurance that pays out if those risks occur later. 

• Client Development: help grow the business by identifying new opportunities, building client relationships and bringing new risks and deals into the pipeline. 

• Strategic Opportunities:  places insurance for nuanced and untested tax risks, including risks that are highly contentious or in live dispute. The team also has a mandate and the regulatory permissions to develop and execute insurance backed financing solutions, which are bespoke to each client. 

 This programme is designed to give you early exposure to real client work, supported by structured training and hands‑on learning from experienced professionals. 

What you’ll be doing? 

M&A Tax  

• Supporting live deals by identifying tax and legal risks and helping draft insurance submissions and client reports. 

• Working with clients and insurers to structure bespoke tax insurance so deals can complete without money being held back. 

Contingent Risk 

• Researching and analysing future legal, regulatory or tax risks, and helping design insurance to cover those risks. 

• Preparing insurance reports, speaking with insurers, and supporting the negotiation and binding of policies on live transactions. 

• Assist in developing financial models to project cash flows and assess financial outcomes of a litigation portfolio. 

Client Development 

• Researching clients and markets, following up on leads and supporting senior team members with pitches and presentations. 

• Helping develop new products and opportunities by working closely with broking teams and insurers. 

Strategic Solutions 

• Supporting the team to research complex or emerging tax risks and carrying out market analysis to identify new opportunities. 

• Assisting on live deals, including gathering information and helping prepare documentation for insurers and clients. 

• Learning how to analyse transactions and financing structures, and how insurance can be used to support and improve these. 

What are we looking for? 

No experience or technical knowledge is required - we’ll teach you everything you need to know! 

• Recent or soon-to-be graduates studying towards any degree background who are interested in careers within M&A, Tax and Banking/Finance. 

• Ambitious and hard-working individuals who are solutions orientated. 

• Resilient self-starters who can work at a fast pace and perform under pressure. 

• Curious and eager learners who are motivated to apply technical concepts. 

• Excel is useful for financial modelling tasks but not required. 

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trusting relationships with stakeholder at all levels. 

• You must have full unrestricted right to work in the UK.

Why should you apply? 

• Opportunity to complete fully funded professional and technical qualifications relevant for your role and career pathway. 

• Access to discounted personal health policies as well as a range of insurance products. 

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and an extra day off for Christmas.  

• Competitive salary and generous pension scheme.  

• Excellent training and development schemes and accelerated career progression.  

• Cycle to work loan scheme and discount on gym memberships. 

• 2 days allocated to take part in volunteering schemes. 

Application process 

Our application process is designed to help you show your potential, not to test what you already know! 

• Online application form – no CV required: We believe you're more than just a document, so we won’t ask you to submit a CV. Please upload a blank document on the application form. 

• Online gamified assessment: These games will help us understand your natural strengths and how you approach different situations. There are no right or wrong answers. You can complete this stage on your phone or laptop, whichever suits you best! 

• Pre-recorded video interview: You will record your answers to a few questions using your phone or laptop, giving you the chance to tell us more about yourself in your own time in a relaxed setting. 

• Assessment centre: Our final stage is an in-person assessment day at one of our offices close to you. You'll take part in some fun group activities and meet our team in a relaxed setting. This day is all about getting to know you better and for you to see what it's like to be part of Howden and experience our culture. We'll cover all your travel costs for this day! 

At Howden, we are committed to developing and maintaining a culture of equality and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from all backgrounds. 

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.