BNZ Graduates

About BNZ

For 150 years, BNZ has supported innovators, businesses, communities and families across New Zealand, enabling them to achieve success.  In the beginning, there were only a few of us, but now we number 4,800

Over the next few years, we will invest heavily in growth – in a nationwide network and in products and services that will enable our clients to grow and build wealth for their families and for their communities. 

At BNZ, we have three obsessions; Leadership, Customers and Kaizen.   These principles guide us and are central to everything we do.  As a graduate at BNZ, you will be part of creating our future and ensuring we are the Bank for New Zealand.
  

 “BNZ is a good place to start your career and being accepted into the graduate programme provided a kickstart to this.  I had exposure to most of the Leadership Team, including our CEO Andrew Thorburn.  Graduates were often given the opportunity to work on extra projects to challenge us” – Maree,  Accounting & Finance Grad Programme
  

We believe in thinking differently

BNZ is a market leader.  That means doing things differently, doing them better and doing them first.  Over the last couple of years we’ve been quietly re-defining what banking means to New Zealanders.  

But it’s investing in our people that will truly set us apart and create the culture in which we can achieve.  Our people are committed to delivering our vision for New Zealand, working with our clients so that communities and families thrive.

Our culture can be summed up in three statements:  

  • Own it, Do It 
  • Listen, engage and deliver 
  • Make it Easier
     

“What I like most is the people and culture of BNZ.  I work with amazing people who go out of their way to share their expertise and provide us with world class development opportunities”  - Andrew, Agri Grad Programme
  

We believe in doing the right thing

As a Principal Sponsor, BNZ is helping Plunket nurture the next generation and enable a high-achieving New Zealand.

BNZ Save the Kiwi trust in partnership with Department of Conservation and many others helped to bring 140 new BNZ Operation Nest Egg Kiwi into the world during 2010.

BNZ employees volunteered over 10,000 days in the last three years and the number of employees participating in community volunteer work has doubled every year. 

BNZ became the first New Zealand bank to become Carbon Neutral.

BNZ Graduates

BNZ Graduates

Where will your career take you?

One great thing that sets BNZ apart as an employer is the range of opportunities you get when you work here.  There isn’t just one career path; there’s one for every one of our 4,800 employees.

Where your career leads to will be based on your Individual Development Plan – a joint effort between you and your immediate manager, based on your own personal and professional goals.  

We believe the key to achieving your goals is developing a strong working relationship with your team members and managers.  This creates an environment for success where your personal goals are met and we grow as a business together.
 

“There have been multiple opportunities as part of the Graduate Progamme to interact with members of the BNZ leadership team, ranging from group discussions to presentations on an array of topics.  Development opportunities are everywhere you look” – David, Accounting & Finance Grad Programme
 

Individual goals, team wins

Teamwork is a huge part of how we work at BNZ. So even though we place a big emphasis on individual development and career paths, working with others in teams is part of almost everyone's job here. The result is that workloads - and successes - are shared by everyone, not just one individual.

Change jobs without changing employers (in NZ and Internationally)

Talk to people here and it won't take long before you meet someone who started in one part of the bank and developed a career in another.

We encourage everyone who works here to look for opportunities within the bank. After all, we employ some of the best people in the business and we wouldn't want to see them go somewhere else! So a lot of the time when we have a vacancy, we fill it with someone who already works with us.

BNZ is part of the NAB Group, which means you can explore employment opportunities in Australia, USA and the UK.
 

“I spent a day with a Partner in Agribusiness.  That day sold me on applying and wanting to have a career at BNZ.  The possibility of working anywhere in NZ and having the chance to work with a great spread of clients and knowing that all graduates in Agri had gone on to have a career at BNZ were major positives” - Shay, Agri Graduate Programme.
 

BNZ Graduates

BNZ Graduates

Our Graduate Programmes

At BNZ we're passionate about our people, our customers and the communities in which we operate. As a graduate you’re vital to our culture and from day one, your ideas and contributions are valued.

Your imagination, dedication, focus and diversity will enable us to create and maintain strong relationships with our customers and communities drive our business forward and face challenges with confidence. Whatever your career ambitions, you may choose from a variety of graduate programs in specialist areas of the business such as riskaccounting and finance, business intelligence (BI) as well as banking in agribusiness, institutional and wholesale.

What’s more, we're part of the National Australia Bank (NAB) group - one of Australia's largest publicly-listed companies operating internationally - so a career with us could take you places you’ve never been.

Wholesale Graduate Programe

Wholesale Banking is all about movement: movement in exchange rates, interest rates and prices. Made up of Markets (sales and trading in interest rates, derivatives, commodities and foreign exchange, capital markets origination and sales, wholesale funding securitisation and research) and the support units of operations, finance, technology and risk, we provide funding, risk management and investment solutions to our clients.

Our graduate programme provides the opportunity to learn about a broad range of Markets products and services. We offer a stimulating career which brings you head-to-head with macro-environmental forces such as interest rate, currency and commodity price movements together with the challenge of providing leading-edge solutions for our customers.

From day one you'll get involved in 'real work', allowing you to explore which part of the business is best suited to your career goals. We'll expose you to the widest range of Markets disciplines to develop your skills, experience and knowledge, from money markets and foreign exchange trading, to client relationship management. Whatever your background there are opportunities for you to learn and grow. And as we are part of the wider National Australia Bank (NAB) Group you'll also get exposure to Wholesale Banking on a global basis.
 

"Highlights include; 1) A one week dealers training course in Sydney. I got to meet pretty much all the Markets grads from Australia, making great connections, learning a lot, and having a whole lot of fun. A highlight on the desk is being involved in the daily BKBM rate-set - a two minute trading window in which hundreds of millions of dollars worth of bank bills are traded between nine participating banks. 2) The people I work with, it's been said before, but it's actually true. It's a very cool culture and group of people in the Wellington markets. 3) Lots of potential opportunity/career growth, not just domestically either. I'm based on the Cash Desk, as part of a five person Funding team based in the Wellington dealing room managing BNZ's cash account at the RBNZ. The desk gives you exposure to a large range of Money Market physicals and derivatives and this is the ideal position within the bank to train as a junior trader." - John (Conjoint degree Mathematics & Science, Post Grad MCom Finance)
 

Business Inteligence

Our Business Intelligence team plays an essential role within BNZ, assisting our business in making decisions and creating solutions. In joining our programme, you'll benefit from comprehensive learning and development, as well as the opportunity to work with other graduates and network with enterprise leaders.

Business Intelligence sits within our broader Finance Team whose mission is to operate a world class Finance function. They are well on the way to this, having been named Finance Team of the Year at the New Zealand CFO awards held in 2011.

BI is about coalescing large amounts of data into a data warehouse and enabling sophisticated reporting, business insights and data analytics. At BNZ, we have a BI team of over 30 people who help create solutions right across the business - including Finance, Marketing, Sales and Risk Management. Our BI team is made up of software developers, technical BI Specialists and Project Analysts who design, build, deliver and support BI software solutions across BNZ.

The experience you will gain and the opportunities we have to offer mean you can make a real mark on the industry and take your information technology career anywhere you want it to go. Along the way you'll make a positive difference to banking and communities around New Zealand.

What kind of work can you expect to be doing during your rotation?

  • Reporting - creating data extracts and SQL based queries to support predominantly Marketing, Sales and Finance reporting requirements. Technologies include Microsoft SQL Server, SAS, Business Objects and Excel;
  • BI Software Development - Build applications and ETL scripts. Technologies include Microsoft .NET, C#, Microsoft SQL Server and WhereScape RED;
  • Application Testing - assist with the testing of software applications and data prior to Production release;
  • Business Requirements - work with the Project Delivery team to engage with business users to analyse and document business requirement for new or existing BI applications

"What I like most about BNZ is the work environment. It is very relaxed but at the same time we are all actively working towards our daily targets and outcomes. At the end o f last year we went to Waiheke for our Christmas Party. It is great that the Bank looks after their staff for all the hard work we put in. Other benefits of working for BNZ are the banking products and on a Friday afternoon we have a social get together." - Pratheek (Conjoint BSc and BCom, Auckland)

BNZ Graduates

 Risk Graduate Programme

Our Risk Teams help us understand the risks involved in our business, from the initiation of a client relationship, to the execution of a transaction. If you are passionate and innovative, our Risk Graduate Programme will empower, support and encourage you to be the best you can be, and to achieve your career aspirations.

Joining our comprehensive two-year learning and development programme, you'll benefit from a variety of different Risk related experiences through four rotations across Risk. The rotations undertaken will be dependent upon current requirements and may include:

  • Risk BNZ Partners – exposure to the credit approval process for medium to large business and corporate clients and experience of the wholesale banking market.
  • Risk Retail – exposure to the consumer finance credit approval process and relationship management, and exposure to underperforming portfolios.
  • Strategic Business Services – experience in determining and executing appropriate strategies for impaired credits for medium to large business clients.
  • Business Support – obtain an understanding of operational risk frameworks, strategies, business continuity management, and Kaizen initiatives across all lines of business.
  • Enterprise Risk Insight – experience in monitoring portfolios and providing insight through analysis, exposure to statistical modelling, obtain project experience and partnering skills through working with the business, experience in providing timely and insightful internal and external reporting.
  • Legal Services – obtain an understanding of regulatory relations and the legal and compliance environment, exposure to legal issues and matters, regulatory work and relationships and the bank's compliance framework.

You'll also enjoy opportunities to network with senior leaders of the organisation, stretch your skills on community-based projects and present to leadership teams.  We’ll give you a buddy to support you through your initial graduate experience and we also offer a Mentoring Programme, linking you with a dedicated manager to provide further support and direction as you move into a permanent role.

"The people within BNZ are friendly and approachable and questions are encouraged! I think the best thing I have found about working in Risk is that you are given opportunities to try things, learn and develop professionally while in a supportive environment." - Cathy (BCom Canterbury)
 

Institutional Banking Graduate Programme

Join our Institutional Banking Graduate Programme in 2012, and we'll provide the starting point for your career to go in any direction you want it to. The global opportunities we have to offer mean you can make a real mark on the industry, so now's your chance to wow us with your personality as much as your grades. Create your own success story and take your finance career anywhere you want it to go.

Starting February 2012, this programme will offeryou the opportunity to learn everything you need to know about Instituional Banking, from capital structure to debt funding options. You'll come out the other end ready to help ensure the success of some of New zealand's largest and best known organisations. The variety and flexibility this programme offers means you'll have plenty of opportunities coming your way.

The positions will most likely suit individuals with a strong Finance or Economics degree, however candidates with excellent numerical and communication skills gained in another discipline should not be discouraged from applying. What we're really interested in is leadership potential and the ability to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Plus, you'll be confident networking across the business and raising your profile in the industry, so you'll show great relationship building skills and the ability to get on with all sorts.

Join us, and create your own career path to success. With our global marketplace presence and competitive remuneration package you can be sure you're getting sll the opportunities possible to further your career in Institutional Banking. 

"It has been great to work in a collaborative high-achieving environment with like-minded people. The collaborative nature seems to be a strength of BNZ in particular. I enjoy working with well known and respected NZ companies. I really enjoyed the summer internship and then the Grad position that I was employed in. It is obviously a considerable change to being at Uni and it has been great to apply the knowledge that I learnt to real life situations." - Tennessee (Commerce Degree major in Finance, University of Canterbury)
 

Application Information

To apply for a BNZ Graduate Programme you'll need to: 

  • Complete an online application - this is your chance to sell yourself, tell us your story and why you're right for BNZ. You will be asked to include your CV, Cover Letter, Academic Transcripts and details of your community, leadership & sporting achievements and work experience.
  • You’ll be required to complete an online assessment to support your application.

Subject to meeting the required criteria and being successful through each stage, you can expect the following steps:

  • Participate in a telephone interview – a member of the Talent Acquisition team will call you to find out more about your career ambitions, studies, and achievements.
  • You may then be required to complete an additional online assessment.
  • Attend a formal interview or assessment centre - you will meet some BNZ people leaders, have an opportunity to see our environment and be assessed across a number of different competencies.
  • Reference checks and probity completed by Talent Acquisition Consultant.
  • Formal offer of employment made.

Your Talent Acquisition Consultant will stay in touch and keep you updated at each step in the application journey.

BNZ Graduates

BNZ Graduates

So, what's it like to join us on the Graduate Program?  What can you expect and how can you make the most of your time with us?

We know that learning and development are essential to giving you the right skills and confidence to help you build a strong and fulfilling career. So, no matter which BNZ Graduate Program you choose, you'll receive:

  • Structured and on-the-job learning and development
  • Education about the wider business and exposure to senior leaders
  • Support as part of the graduate community

Meet our Grads:

BNZ Graduate Maree
Maree:  ...I love the dynamic nature of my current job.  Working in Wholesale Banking means our work is affected by what is happening not only in the New Zealand market

   
   

BNZ Graduate Andrew
Andrew: I completed a Bachelor of Business Studies at Massey, majoring in Agribusiness.  What appealed to me most about the Graduate Programme was the opportunity to work with a mentor throughout the programme who was always there to answer any questions...

   
   

BNZ Graduate Pratheek
Pratheek: What I like most about my role is the opportunities to learn and develop different skills.  No two days are the same; you are constantly dealing with new people, new departments and new challenges.


  

BNZ Graduate Tasmin
Tamsin: It is tailored to your individual requirements, and is also very self-driven and open to your input and ideas; you can really drive your own progress.


     
   

BNZ Graduate Tennessee
Tennessee: My role within the team is to complete analysis (financial, industry, business etc) of the companies that we bank. I also complete a number of tasks to help with the day-to-day running of the portfolio.


     

BNZ Graduate Kael
Kael: I really like the nature of the programme – being able to rotate around four different areas within finance keeps you on your feet and constantly learning.

   
   

BNZ Graduate Cathy
Cathy:Check that Intranet Article I wrote is up on the Home page. Check. No major spelling mistakes - Success!

To hear more from our graduates click here.

BNZ Graduates

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