From day one, our mission has been to create an independent business with a unique culture – one that is controlled by the people who work for it. Finding the most talented and entrepreneurial people has always been key to our success.
People come to Howden for lots of different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. That’s what sets us apart, and why we nurture and retain the best talent in the market.
Location: Dubai
Start date: October 2026
Applications close: Friday 31st July
Working structure: 4 days in office
Credit & Political Risk Team
Credit & Political Riskis a specialist area of insurance broking that helps businesses manage the risk of non-payment when trading, lending, investing, oroperatingin uncertain markets.It is part of the wider Capital, Advisory and Placement division at Howden.
In simple terms, we help clients understand potential payment risks and explore insurance solutions that support resilience, confidence, and growth.
As a graduate,you’llgain exposure to three specialist areas:
Trade Credit— how businesses protect themselves when customers do not pay for goods or services provided on credit.
Structured Credit— how insurance can support more complex financial arrangements where repayment risk needs to be understood and managed.
Political Risk— how political, economic, or country-specific events can affect contracts, payments, and investments.
Ifyou’recurious about global trade, finance, emerging markets, and how businesses manage uncertainty, this team will give youa strong foundationfor a specialist career in broking.
Our Graduate Program
You’lljoin a 12-month development experience designed for recent graduates ready to build a meaningful career in insurance. From day one,you’lllearn how different risks are assessed, placed, and managed, while building the technical and commercial skills needed to advise clients effectively.
You’lldevelop your analytical, commercial, and consulting skills through on-the-job learning, structured support, and exposure to experienced colleagues across the business.You’llalso be supported by a dedicated mentor and, upon successful completion, transition into a permanent role at Howden.
Whatyou’llbe doing
Throughout the programme,you’ll
Gain hands-on experience supporting brokers with trade credit, structured credit, and political risk solutions.
Learn how businesses use insurance to help manage non-payment risk, support financial resilience, and trade or invest with greater confidence.
Work alongside experienced colleagues to understand client needs, review relevant information, and support discussions with insurers.
Help analyse options and develop clear, practical recommendations that support client decision-making.
Build an understanding of how commercial, financial, political, and economic factors can affect contracts, payments, lending, investment, and international trade.
Collaborate with broking, placement, claims, analytics, and support teams to deliver high-quality service to clients across the insurance lifecycle.
Participate in training, networking, and development opportunities designed to build your commercial awareness, technical knowledge, confidence, and professional skills.
What are we looking for?
No insurance experience isrequired;we’llteach you everything you need to know.
We’relooking for recent graduates who are excited to learn, commercially curious, and interested in how businesses manage financial, commercial, and geopolitical risk. A degree in economics, finance, law, or a related subject would be particularly relevant, butwe’realso interested in candidates with strong analytical ability, attention to detail, and genuine curiosity about this area.
You'llthrive in this role if you are:
Curious about finance, economics, law, global trade, emerging markets, and how businesses manage uncertainty.
Comfortable working with data and numbers; experience using Excel, including formulas and pivot tables, would be beneficial.
A relationship builder who enjoys connecting with people, communicating clearly, and working collaboratively with clients and colleagues.
Resilient and motivated, with the ability to take ownership and keep moving things forward.
A practical problem-solver with a positive, solutions-focused mindset and an eagerness to keep learning.
Application Process
Our application process is designed to help show your potential, not to test what you already know.
Online 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, and you cancompletethis stage on your phone or laptop.
Pre-recorded video interview (audio onlyoptionavailable):You’llrecord answers to a few questions in your own time, giving you the chance to tell us more about yourself in a relaxed setting.
Interview Super Day:You’lltake part in a virtual case study and interviews with colleagues, giving us the chance to learn more about you while giving you space to ask questions and explore whether the programme is the right fit.
What do we offer in return?
A career that you define.
Yes, we offer all the usual rewards and benefits - including great medical insurance, air tickets, a competitive salary and more - but we know you expect all that.
What you might not expect is a job where everyone has a voice, where volunteering in the community is part of the day job, and where everyone is encouraged to play a part towards our sustainability goals. We want people who want to make a difference - not just in the workplace, but in the industry and in the wider community.
Our Culture: People First
We are proud to be at the global table, but we are most proud of our culture. It has been built on a single and constant set of principles over more than 25 years, and it has helped us become:
An international group with independence and people at its heart
A home for talent with a unique culture: the biggest small company in the world
The focus on being a People First business has always been at the very heart of the Group. David Howden’s vision was to create an independent business with a unique culture; one that would survive and thrive as a business controlled by the people working for it.
Diversity & Inclusion
At Howden Group Holdings we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.
We’re Howden, the people first insurance group with employee ownership at its heart.
From launching with just three employees in 1994, we’ve grown to over 23,000 people around the globe. Together, our expertise span the full spectrum of insurance: broking, reinsurance, underwriting, risk consultancy and employee benefits.
We rise to any challenge and are determined to use insurance as a force for good.
