APR Graduate Actuarial Scheme
APR are a specialist actuarial employer, recently acquired by XPS PLC, a FTSE-250 listed consulting firm to boost the already rapid growth in their Insurance Consulting division. This division of XPS was only formed in 2024 and therefore provides an opportunity to join a young, ambitious and entrepreneurial team where you have the potential to help share its future.
We believe for graduates the bringing together of APR and XPS provides the ‘best of both worlds’. The aspects that graduates valued in APR including the industry-leading training and cross-sector actuarial exposure remain and are complemented by the financial strength of XPS, wider service lines such as Data & Analytics and investment in AI that will help ensure you develop skills critical for your future success. Both companies are truly invested in the benefits of a people-first culture and we look forward to demonstrating this in the recruitment process.
XPS’s Insurance Consulting division provides both consulting and secondment solutions to our clients, who are primarily life and general insurers. We pride ourselves on having a very high-quality actuarial team recognised in the industry for their technical capability, curiosity, being tech-savvy and their genuine enthusiasm about adding value for our clients.
Why choose APR (XPS Insurance Consulting)?
- Industry-leading training and a competitive study package, which has allowed our staff to consistently achieve an exam pass rate far above that of the industry average.
- A wide range of clients and projects, giving you the opportunity to gain experience in many different areas of the industry.
- Given responsibility early on at client projects, maximising your learning and development.
- Be part of a dedicated team, giving you the chance to work closely alongside some exceptional actuarial talent in an environment which champions mutual success.
- A competitive salary with an annual discretionary bonus, alongside a wider benefit package.
After joining the Graduate Scheme, you will undergo a period of induction training, during which your skills and interests will be continuously developed and assessed to identify the best client projects for you. The projects themselves span a large range of areas of actuarial work but typical projects include:
- Providing specialist skills in short supply, such as model development or coding in various languages such as Excel, R, Python, and AI Development.
- Working on major change projects, or backfilling of BAU work.
- As you gain seniority, opportunities to act in technical or client delivery lead roles would likely emerge for those that demonstrate suitable aptitude.
For future client projects, your development goals and preferences will be considered to try to ensure that you continue to get a variety of work and technical exposure rather than being pushed into a particular specialism early in a career. However, we will support the desire for staff to ultimately develop a technical specialism in many areas.
You are expected to work on a hybrid basis mixing remote/home work and attendance at one of our London, Edinburgh or Dublin offices, or one of XPS’s many other regional UK offices. For some staff there is also the possibility to get involved in wider areas of the business such as recruitment, training, business development and developing tools, such as our AI products.
Even with staff being assigned to many different clients and projects, there are plenty of opportunities to collaborate within the organisation – our close-knit team is something we are very proud of. This collaboration might take the form of getting involved with internal work, attendance at training days or internal CPD events, or taking part in social activities.
Our general philosophy on working practices is to be as flexible and pragmatic as we are able to be. A copy of the working practices policy will be provided during the offer stages of employment, but to give potential employees an idea of our approach we have summarised here the arrangements in two key areas:
- Location: we have a range of working practice bases available, each of which sets out the minimum expectations in terms of travel to client sites and attendance at APR / XPS offices. Feedback from our existing staff is that these different bases provide them with a welcome degree of freedom to operate in a way that works for them while meeting business needs. Note that in most cases, we would expect entry-level staff to work under an arrangement that requires a reasonable level of office attendance, reflecting the greater benefits of face-to-face contact in these early career stages; after this period, we would review whether moving to another basis is appropriate.
- Working hours: We have a flexible approach as far as it is practical to do so. For example, one constraint is that some clients may have set working patterns or specified core hours of working, which we are required to honour.
As a caring employer we recognise that some staff may have specific reasons why they are unable to be as flexible as they or we might like, and we are committed to applying our policy in a way that is fair for all.
- CV and Cover Letter – An opportunity to show us you’re qualified, motivated and want to join us. Note that we will not consider applications without a suitable covering letter.
- Online Test – Assesses numerical and verbal reasoning skills.
- Teams Interview – A discussion with a senior member of staff on your reasons for applying to join us, as well as industry and technical knowledge.
- Assessment Centre – An intensive two-hour session. You will be asked to give a presentation on a topic of your choice, have a face-to-face interview, and take another technical assessment.
Our recruitment team has issued a guide for prospective applicants which discusses each stage in greater detail and provides tips on how to prepare for them. You can access the guide here.
Having worked in both Life and General Insurance projects since joining, I’ve also been able to start building a varied network of external colleagues. It has been great to branch out and meet new people in this way while having a supportive base through APR.
As we’re a smaller, growing business, I’ve had many opportunities to contribute directly to the progression of the company. I’ve been involved in several aspects of the recruitment functions for both graduates and interns, and jointly took charge of coordinating our monthly staff update which was an effective way to become familiar with some of the internal workings of APR.
Having graduated from a degree in Actuarial Science, I was uncertain about which area to specialise in. Thus, I was particularly attracted to APR because its wide variety of available projects gives me control over my career.
Since joining I have found that there is a strong sense of community within APR, as everyone is very approachable and willing to share knowledge or advice when needed. The Dublin office’s regular socials and the opportunity to visit our London/Edinburgh colleagues helped in quickly integrating and feeling like a valuable team member.
APR is one of the few graduate programs where new starters are guaranteed diverse work experience while also having the opportunity to directly contribute to in-house training and development. Since joining through the graduate scheme in September 2022, I’ve contributed to an in-house technical development project, written an article about life expectancy for the client mailer, led internal training sessions, and completed a 12-month secondment at a major life insurer.
Throughout my time with APR, I’ve felt fully supported in my personal and professional development via regular check-ins with my line manager, who has provided exam guidance and career advice. I look forward to my continued growth with APR!
Since joining APR's Dublin office in September 2023, I've had the privilege of enjoying intensive training and engaging in a diverse range of work. The company's culture is open and welcoming, fostering a supportive environment for personal and professional growth.
APR values meritocracy, and I've already had the opportunity to take on various responsibilities and gain commercial awareness at this early stage of my career. The Dublin office's emphasis on work-life balance and support for professional exams makes it the perfect place to excel in both your studies and client work.
I joined APR in the September 2022 Cohort. Immediately I was impressed by the scale, depth and rigour of the induction training, by the end of which I felt much more confident and equipped to embark on my first project, which was at a Bulk Annuity Provider. My second project, which was at a London Market General Insurer was on the opposite end of the spectrum, so it is fair to say I have had a varied career so far!
Aside from Client work I have found the opportunities to develop softer skills, through in-house APR work to be invaluable. This includes delivering training sessions to students on our Actuarial Insight Program and working on the APR website.
Overall, my development in my first year at APR has far exceeded my expectation!