2026 Nz Insurance Underwriting Graduate Program

Time Type: Full time

Worker Type: Employee

**QBE NEW ZEALAND GRADUATE PROGRAM 2026**

**INSURANCE UNDERWRITING STREAM**

**PERMANENT ROLE | AUCKLAND | HYBRID WORKING**

**GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW**

**18 months | 3 different teams | 6-month experiences**

Our award-winning graduate program has been running in Australia for many years with huge success. Graduates are hired as permanent employees, with the first 18-months spent on the graduate program experiencing three different teams across our business, known as ‘rotations’. In addition to three rotations, graduates progress through a structured learning and development plan, have access to senior leaders, and spend time with their graduate cohort forming meaningful and long-lasting connections.

In 2024, we launched our inaugural New Zealand graduate program as an extension of our Australian program, and we are looking to bring on another two graduates for 2026 based out of our Auckland office. Successful graduates will enjoy two trips to Sydney, Australia for induction week and development activities in their first year.

**INSURANCE UNDERWRITING**

Insurance underwriting is a highly technical skill set that is critical to our business success. This graduate program stream focuses on business insurance, which can be incredibly complex. Businesses of all sizes across many industries present their own unique risks and you will learn what to consider before we agree to offer insurance protection to a business customer.

You can expect to learn about many types of business insurance including property, motor, liability, financial lines, and more. As a QBE graduate in New Zealand, you do not need any previous insurance experience. We’ll teach you the basics before progressing you into new rotations where you’ll continue to build your knowledge and understanding of insurance and the underwriting process.

The role of an underwriter is unique in that it offers the best of both worlds - a role where you can build strong technical skills through analysis and risk management practices, and advanced communications skills as your success in this role will largely depend on effectively working with many internal and external stakeholders.

Our graduates often discover interests that they didn’t know even existed before joining QBE. The New Zealand graduate program provides a platform to learn insurance from the ground up and it offers the flexibility to explore interests as they develop.

**GRADUATE LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT**

Your skill and career development are a key focus for the entire graduate program and beyond. Some of the ways you will learn include:

- Experiencing our business from three different perspectives across your graduate rotation s
- Digital learning pathways designed for the graduate cohort and your program stream more specifically
- Informal learning through cohort activities and initiatives
- Unlimited access to digital learning content, many courses with official certifications
- Your support network: graduate program lead, graduate buddy, rotation leaders, technical buddies, graduate networks (program stream and wider cohort)
- Networking and public speaking opportunities

**ABOUT QBE**

At QBE, we get to the heart of what matters for our customers. We dig deeper to really get to know our customers, harnessing our deep understanding to provide tailored and responsive solutions. And we do it all with a human touch.

As part of the QBE team, you’ll spend every day working with people who are passionate, talented and kind. And with 13,000+ colleagues across 26 countries, we’re big enough for your ambitions, yet still small enough for you to make a real impact.

It’s an exciting time at QBE. We’re building momentum towards our vision to become the most consistent and innovative risk partner. And we want talented people like you to join us, so you can be part of our success - and we can be part of yours.

Your career. At the heart of it.

**BENEFITS**

We offer a range of benefits to help provide holistic support for your work life, whatever your circumstances. As a QBE employee you will have access to and benefit from:

- ‘Hybrid Working’ - a mix of working from home and in the office to enhance your work/life balance
- Life Leave, supporting the life events we all experience, leaving your annual leave for rest
- Free holistic wellbeing coaching, nutritional, confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- A range of discounts on insurance products, car hire, hotels, goods and services
- Voluntary super contributions and company matching
- Income protection insurance & reimbursed Death and Total Permanent Disability insurance premiums
- 18 weeks’ gender-equal flexible leave for all new parents, including paid super

**REWARDS & RECOGNITION**

We value our employee’s experience with us and are proud to have been recognised for the following awards:

- Ranked in the top ten in the AAGE Top Graduate Employers 2025 for medium sized program a