Suncorp Group has begun recruiting for its 2026 graduate program, highlighting the breadth of opportunities available in underwriting and risk engineering.
Graduate talent advisor Kelly Pfeffer said the roles are not tied to a single qualification, which allows students from many disciplines to transition into the insurance industry.
“I am still learning more about underwriting every day,” she said. “It’s a fascinating space that our graduates are thriving in.”
His work includes inspecting commercial properties across Victoria, identifying hazards such as fire risks, and preparing reports for underwriters.
“My role is to help educate the underwriter about how risky the site is that they’re looking to insure. We’d go out on site, complete a risk survey, and develop a recommendation so the underwriter can make an informed judgment,” Daniel said.
Daniel noted that his engineering degree gave him practical knowledge that could be applied to site inspections, although he had not previously considered insurance as a career.
“The Suncorp Graduate Program specifically referenced an interest in engineering graduates. The role description also appealed to me as it offered something different to typical engineering work,” he said. “My role is general, more business and relationship orientated. I thought would be a great fit for me and turns out; it was!”
Josephine, who is based in Sydney, joined GIO’s workers compensation underwriting team after completing a double degree in law and arts at Macquarie University.
She had been working in a law firm before seeking graduate opportunities outside the legal profession.
Her current role involves assessing risks to employees across different industries and working with actuaries, pricing specialists, brokers, and business customers to set coverage and premiums.
“Day-to-day, I look at policies and talk with brokers or with direct business customers. A broker may come to our team and say they’re looking after a business with 10 employees, who clean skyscraper windows, for example,” Josephine said.
Josephine added that her legal training has been particularly useful when navigating different state regulations that apply to workers compensation policies.
“There is a lot of critical and analytical thinking that goes into it, as well as relationship building,” she said. “We also service multiple states, so it is important to understand the different regulations in each state.”
She said the graduate program has provided flexibility, including opportunities to rotate through different teams.
“I think one of my biggest fears was that once I had picked a career, I couldn’t do anything else. I would be stuck. But with the Suncorp Graduate Program, I’ve been given opportunities to move around to different teams and to transfer within the company,” Josephine said.
In May, Suncorp hosted its Thrive Graduate Conference in Brisbane, bringing together 63 graduates from Australia and New Zealand for three days of training and networking.
Participants represented 22 universities and were selected from a record pool of nearly 10,000 applicants.
Women made up almost 40% of the 2025 group, with the average participant age at 24.
Applications for the next intake close on Aug. 26.
The internship program begins in November, with the graduate program starting in January 2026.
