Rathbones Institute – Associate

Role title: Associate – Rathbones Institute

Start date: January 2027

Employment model: Fully employed

Salary: Competitive from day one

Working pattern: Hybrid

About the role & programme

The Rathbones Institute offers experienced professionals changing career or returning to work a supported, fully funded 24-month route into a career in wealth management. You will be employed and salaried from day one, with Rathbones funding the qualifications included in your agreed pathway.

The programme provides a structured environment where you can learn, build confidence and develop at the right pace. It combines group learning, individual study, tutor and mentor support, and practical on-desk experience. Your development will reflect your existing qualifications, experience and career goals.

The programme begins with a one-week induction at Rathbones’ London office, followed by collaborative, supported study towards the CISI Investment Advice Diploma. From month six (June 2027), you will spend four days a week on desk and one day studying towards the CISI Chartered Wealth Manager qualification (Level 7), supported by Rathbones colleagues, Fitch Learning and AI-enabled learning tools. Alongside your technical development, you will begin building client relationships with appropriate support and supervision. Coaching, mentoring and professional development continue beyond the programme, with opportunities to progress in Investment Management, Financial Planning or another area of wealth management.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Undertake the structured programme and complete the required CISI qualifications, examinations, programme milestones and development activities.
• Balance on-desk responsibilities with dedicated study time, taking ownership of learning commitments and seeking focused support where needed.
• Build knowledge of financial markets, investments and the wider economic and geopolitical factors affecting clients and markets.
• Apply course learning accurately to practical situations, assessing information from different sources, testing assumptions and identifying risks.
• Develop an understanding of clients’ circumstances, needs, objectives and concerns by asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully and avoiding premature assumptions.
• Explain information clearly, adapt communication to the audience and check understanding, including recognising when further information or support may be required.
• Build trusted professional relationships with clients and colleagues through calm, clear and consistent communication.
• From month six, begin developing client relationships and the foundations of a long-term client book, with appropriate support and supervision.
• Identify and pursue suitable business development opportunities through client conversations, professional networks, consistent follow-up and a focus on suitability, transparency, value and good client outcomes.

About you 

We’re looking for experienced professionals who are changing careers or returning to work after time away. Your experience may come from any sector or setting, but you’ll bring a strong record of achievement, sound judgement and meaningful outcomes. You’ll be someone who:

• Shows genuine curiosity about clients, avoiding premature assumptions and staying interested in what matters to people.
• Shows commercial initiative and persistence, identifying suitable opportunities, initiating conversations, building professional networks and following up consistently. You balance commercial ambition with suitability, transparency, value and good client outcomes.
• Learns quickly and openly, absorbing new information, seeking feedback, reflecting on your approach and adapting when needed. You recognise when you need further information or support and take action to address it.
• Assesses information carefully, tests assumptions, identifies risks and reaches balanced, proportionate conclusions. You work accurately and responsibly within agreed policies, controls and the level of competence appropriate to your stage of development.
• Communicates clearly and builds trust, explaining complex information simply, adapting your style to the audience, checking understanding and responding constructively to questions or disagreement. You establish professional relationships through calm, consistent and respectful communication.
• Maintains momentum through setbacks, uncertainty and competing priorities, changing course constructively when circumstances require it.

Our offer to you

We want everyone at Rathbones to fulfil their potential, in an environment where you are proud to work and feel like you belong. We offer a comprehensive remuneration package, which we review regularly and benefits include:

• A company pension - 9% non-contributory or 10% if you contribute 5%
• Private medical insurance – individual on joining, family after 1 year’s service
• Life assurance - 8x salary
• Income protection – 75% salary
• Company share scheme
• Discretionary bonus
• Flexible holidays – purchase up to 5 additional days
• Green Car Scheme
• Family friendly policies – enhanced family leave for parents & carers
• Study support – study days and funding for courses and qualifications
• Season travel ticket loans
• Volunteering days
• Gym discounts
• Other voluntary benefits you can choose to suit you

Our employees can choose to take part in various social groups and communities to support their wellbeing, growth, development and sense of community. These include:

• Sports & Social Committees, such as cricket, football, netball, running, yoga, quiz nights, charity bake sales and much more.
• Inclusion Networks that help us drive change within the organisation, such as Gender Balance, Multicultural, Abilities Count, Pride, Social Mobility, Generations, Menopause Matters and Armed Forces. 
• The NextGen IM Network, which brings together a community of trainees from across the UK who are all at the early stages of their careers and offers development opportunities, exposure across the business, as well as peer support and connection.

This recruitment process is being managed on our behalf by our retained partner, Ladder. All applications will be received and reviewed by the Ladder team, who will manage the initial stages of the selection process in partnership with Rathbones. We will close this advert once we have received enough applications for the next stage. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure you don’t miss out.