Financial Markets Graduate Programme UK 2026

Standard Chartered; City of London; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international bank in London is offering a Financial Markets Graduate Programme for 2026. This role aims to develop diverse talents through structured learning and real-world projects in various areas like sales, trading, and research. Candidates must be in their final year and graduating by July 2026, demonstrating strong analytical skills and curiosity about global markets.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Health and life insurance

Time-off including annual leave and parental leave

Flexible working options

Proactive wellbeing support

Continuous learning culture

Qualifications

• Final year student, graduating by July 2026.
• Legally eligible to work full-time in the UK.
• Strong academic performance and extracurricular achievements.
• Resilient in fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Participate in structured learning and hands-on experience.
• Collaborate with diverse teams and experienced leaders.
• Engage in skill development aimed at long-term success.

Skills

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Curiosity about global markets

Detail-oriented

Education

Final year student

Tools

Computer Science background

Mathematics background

Engineering background

Statistics background

Job description

Financial Markets Graduate Programme UK 2026

Financial Markets Graduate Programme – 2026

Our Markets team helps clients navigate complexity, seize opportunities, and manage risk across asset classes. From foreign exchange and interest rates to debt securities and commodities, we deliver bespoke solutions that power global trade and investment. Financial Markets sits at the heart of our Corporate and Investment Banking business, connecting clients to the capital they need and the opportunities that drive growth.

About the Graduate Programme – how you’ll learn and grow

Join a skills-first organisation where your potential matters more than your background. From day one, you’ll build the skills that matter – through real-world projects, mentoring, and tailored learning journeys. Our 12-month graduate programme is designed to accelerate your development and set you up for long‑term success. You’ll benefit from:

• Structured learning: Classroom training combined with hands‑on experience
• Global collaboration: Work with diverse teams and experienced leaders
• Skill development: Build technical expertise and professional capabilities

Where you could work

During the assessment process, we’ll help you explore which of the following areas best match your strengths and interests:

• Sales: Build trusted relationships with institutional clients and deliver investment strategies tailored to their goals. Collaborate across teams to execute trades and manage risk.
• Trading: Make markets and manage positions across asset classes. Use data, analytics, and instinct to navigate volatility and drive performance.
• Structuring: Design and price complex financial products. Combine quantitative modelling with commercial insight to deliver innovative client solutions.
• Financing Risk: Structure and distribute financing deals that support sustainable growth. Manage risk exposure and ensure regulatory alignment.
• Research: Deliver differentiated insights across macroeconomics, FX, credit, ESG, commodities, and geopolitics. Help clients and internal stakeholders make smarter decisions.

Bring the skills and we’ll help you build your career

We believe that diverse skills drive innovation, which is why we welcome students from all degree disciplines and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds. You’ll be:

• A final‑year student, graduating by July 2026
• Legally eligible to work full‑time in the country you’re applying to.
• A team player with strong academic performance and extracurricular achievements.
• Analytical, numerate, and detail‑oriented.
• Adaptable and resilient in fast‑paced environments.
• Curious about global markets and driven to make an impact.

For technical roles, we particularly value backgrounds in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics.

Key Dates

• Start Date: July 2026

Exceptions

• UK & UAE: Candidates requiring visa sponsorship will be considered.

About Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB)

We support a wide range of clients – from local businesses to global corporations, governments, banks, and institutional investors – with their transaction banking, financial markets, and financing needs.

• Serving over 20,000 clients across 54 markets, we operate in some of the world’s fastest‑growing economies and most active trade corridors.
• Our deep local presence enables us to co‑create tailored solutions and connect clients to investors, suppliers, buyers, and sellers.
• Our products and services help clients move capital, manage risk, and invest to create wealth.

About Standard Chartered

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us. Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.

What we offer

In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time‑off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market‑leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first‑aiders and all sorts of self‑help toolkits.
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values‑driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies – everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.

Recruitment Assessments

Some of our roles use assessments to help us understand how suitable you are for the role you've applied to. If you are invited to take an assessment, this is great news. It means your application has progressed to an important stage of our recruitment process.