Aviva Investors – Graduate Programme

The Real Assets team offer investment opportunities in tangible assets such as buildings and facilities.  We offer solutions targeting absolute returns and growth, cashflow and liability matching and multi-asset Real Assets. We leverage our Research view to target specific sectors and geographies that we believe offer the greatest risk-adjusted returns for our clients, and invest across real estate (equity, debt and long income), infrastructure (equity and debt) and private debt. ESG is integrated into our investment and active asset management processes, we act as responsible stewards of our client’s assets and are committed to achieving Net Zero by 2040. 

The Global Client Solutions (GCS) division is responsible for the distribution of our investment capabilities, as well as developing, growing and protecting our client relationships. Our clients are all investors – pension schemes, insurance companies and financial intermediaries, such as banks, plus their advisors and investment consultants. Working in GCS will provide you with an understanding of how Asset Managers bring their investment expertise to market, how we develop client relationships, and give you exposure to one of the most quickly evolving areas of the Asset Management industry.

By preferencing our ‘Liquid Markets’ you could see yourself in one of the following teams during your internship:

• Credit - The Credit team invest in bonds which are loans that are borrowed for a defined period of time. They act as lenders to companies across a range of markets. Credit is a broad and diverse asset class, meaning that many investments are evaluated from both a bottom up and a top-down perspective (examine various economic factors, that affect the overall market). Portfolio managers and analysts evaluate each opportunity based on macro-economic, fundamental, valuation and technical attributes in order to assess where price has deviated from fair value.
• Multi-asset & Macro -Our team takes a top-down approach to investing and follows the economics and politics across both developed and emerging economies. In doing so we hope to uncover long term investable trends such as an improving growth outlook for an economy which will impact central bank policy or asset prices across global financial markets.  The team aims to look through short-term market noise to come up with a central economic scenario (our house view) and strategically allocate client assets in long term positions on that basis. In a constantly changing world this team strives to find a steady path which will provide the best return for our clients whilst also respecting their sustainability goals. Debating this path both internally as a team and collaboratively with the equity, fixed income and sustainable investment teams makes this area a diverse and stimulating place to work on a daily basis.
• Equities - Our team takes a bottom-up approach to investing, focusing on meeting and analysing companies around the world. Our aim is to build portfolios of companies best placed to thrive over the next few years, taking account of market trends, their competitive positioning, and management quality. We work very closely with the ESG team to ensure a comprehensive view of these companies' abilities and willingness to adopt best practice in areas such as governance, climate policies and impact on society. We have recently increased the focus of our equity business on our new Sustainable Outcomes range of global funds.
• Global Trading - Our team is responsible for trade execution across equity, fixed income and FX. Based in London, Chicago and Singapore, we operate a global model where we aim to optimise for local liquidity. Given the nature of the funds we manage and our insurance heritage, Aviva Investors are also active in trading complex OTC derivatives which makes for a challenging environment and a broad spectrum of activity. The Global Team is responsible for understanding the minutia of market structure, positioning and liquidity for each asset class and are charged with fulfilling our regulatory responsibility to deliver best execution. A role in Global Trading will give you an opportunity to work collaboratively with PMs, whilst also operating at the very forefront of financial markets, monitoring in real time how they react to news and events
• ESG - The ESG team oversees the integration of environmental, social and governance factors into the investment process across Aviva Investors’ full spectrum of liquid and illiquid assets. This includes proprietary quantitative scoring, bottom up ESG corporate research, top-down thematic research and impact analysis linked to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The ESG team is also responsible for conducting stewardship activities for our clients’ investments; exercising proxy voting rights and engaging with investee companies to protect long-term shareholder value, as well as excluding investments depending on client ethical and ESG preferences. In addition, the team supports development of client tailored ESG solutions. There is a high degree of cohesion and cooperation between the ESG team and the rest of the business, with some members of the ESG team embedded in the asset class teams. The ESG team also advocates policy measures that aim to create more sustainable capital markets through market reform and sustainability-related campaigns. It shares expertise and best practice on sustainable finance through the ESG Academy.
• Investment Specialists - This team is the bridge between our clients, client facing teams and our investment capabilities.  The team is responsible for defining and executing product strategy for Liquid Markets, developing product franchises that use the firm’s investment capability and that meet the current and future needs of our wide array of clients.  This involves driving innovation through new product development, evolving the existing product portfolio, and creating compelling messaging based on our areas of advantage and to take our products to market.  Working in this team gives you exposure to both our Liquid Markets investment professionals and the commercial opportunities with our clients.