Exploring Internship Opportunities at Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group offers a wide array of internship opportunities designed to provide students and recent graduates with real-world experience and a glimpse into potential career paths within the financial services industry. These internships are structured to foster skill development, build professional networks, and explore career aspirations. At Principal, your contributions will count, and you will be invested in what matters. The company is committed to creating a brighter future for financial services, allowing you to set the tone for your career.

General Information

Principal internships are typically hosted during the summer months, spanning 10 to 12 weeks between the spring and fall academic semesters. The company aims to post and advertise these opportunities by mid to late August, aligning with the start dates of many universities’ fall semesters. While the postings remain live until the positions are filled, it is advisable to apply sooner rather than later.

Principal internships mirror full-time career opportunities, offering a flexible environment that includes remote and hybrid work options. All internships are paid, and Principal provides a lump-sum stipend to assist with incidental expenses incurred during the internship. The company also provides a tax gross-up on this stipend as a financial benefit.

Principal is an equal opportunity employer and an E-Verify participant, committed to providing consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic partner status, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. The company also prohibits harassment on these bases.

How to Apply and Avoid Recruitment Fraud

Only applicants who have filled out an official application on the Principal career site (careers.principal.com) will be considered for employment opportunities. Principal will never ask for money during any stage of the employment application process. If you suspect recruitment fraud, contact 1.866.524.6947 and your local law enforcement.

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Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply for all requisitions that align with their career interests, skill sets, and qualifications.

Types of Internship Opportunities

Principal offers internships in various areas, each designed to provide specific skills and knowledge. Here are some key areas:

Actuarial

Actuarial internships provide real-world work experience, allowing you to apply your actuarial knowledge and skills. You will learn from and work with credentialed actuaries, taking on meaningful and challenging work. Activities include:

Participating in small group meetings with senior actuarial leadership.
Participating in an actuarial code jam-a multi-day, team-based project focused on developing solutions to actuarial business problems.
Attending social and professional networking events.

Data and Analytics

These internships focus on applying data and analytics knowledge and skills to real-world problems. Interns actively collaborate with stakeholders, leadership, and IT to research, analyze, and deliver data solutions. Responsibilities include:

Mining data sources and making data easy to interpret through visuals and other consumable formats.
Participating in project teams to develop and maintain processes and work with in-time or scheduled metrics and reporting.
Applying statistical techniques to business problems to generate insights.

Interns are placed in roles customized to their expertise and interests, working in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment. A formal leader and mentor guide interns through the program.

Financial Analytics

Financial analytics internships develop quantitative, critical reasoning, and communication skills in a business setting. Interns learn from and work alongside an experienced team of finance professionals, helping to drive business results with meaningful and challenging work. Activities include:

Meeting with chief financial officers from each business area.
Participating in social and professional networking events.

This internship provides an inside track to a potential full-time career in finance at Principal.

Sales

Sales internships provide real-world experience in sales, including phone interaction with advisors and brokerage offices. Responsibilities include:

Assisting in prospecting new sources of business while learning how to utilize Salesforce, a client relationship management tool.
Assisting representatives in their territory, gaining valuable experience and networking opportunities.
Performing basic reporting tasks related to sales performance.
Assisting with special projects as assigned.

Interns actively contribute to a fun and creative team culture, embracing new ideas every day.

Commercial Real Estate

These internships offer real-world experience in commercial real estate, a dynamic business with several investment sectors, each requiring area-specific disciplines and unique opportunities.

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Technology

Technology internships provide opportunities to work in centralized areas or closely with business partners. This flexibility allows interns to meet their professional and personal goals. The learning culture helps interns take their passion for technology and engineering to new places. Interns actively engage with others, optimizing solutions to meet ever-changing needs and help create a business advantage.

Investment Operations

These immersive internships span six to nine months of full-time work, offering diversified experience with one or more asset classes-including global fixed income, global equity, and real estate-via a unique, multi-boutique structure. Responsibilities include:

Interacting with investment management and operations teams, as well as global staff.
Learning and applying technical skills in a business setting.
Taking advantage of career-building networking opportunities.

Equities

Equities internships support analyst research and portfolio management teams. Interns gain exposure to both the day-to-day management of funds and research, working closely with experienced analysts to generate ideas and aid in the construction of outperforming strategies. Responsibilities include:

Helping manage cash, trade execution, operations, and client-facing responsibilities in support of funds.

This time-sensitive work helps develop an understanding of the day-to-day workflow of a large equity mandate.

Unique Intern Roles

In addition to the above areas, Principal occasionally offers unique intern roles in areas such as legal, strategy, marketing, and communications. Keep an eye on the job board for these opportunities, which will include descriptions of qualifications and general responsibilities.

Client Experience (CX) Intern - Asset Management

Principal Asset Management is looking for a Summer 2026 Intern to join their Client Experience (CX) team within Asset Management. This internship will allow you to see all aspects of the client journey and participate in enhancing it.

Interns will be exposed to or be responsible for:

Owning a portion of a client due diligence questionnaires (DDQs) or requests for proposals (RFPs).
Client metric reporting and trend analysis.
Client relationship management (CRM) system or client portal projects and enhancements.

You will collaborate with the CX group and stakeholders within Distribution, Operations, or Investment teams to complete tasks and develop solutions.

Who You Are:

Working towards or have an undergraduate or graduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Data Analytics, Business Analytics, or related majors.
Excellent problem solving, analytical, organizational, and communication skills required.
Work in fast-paced environment.
Intellectual curiosity.
Minimum 3.0 GPA

Skills That Will Help You Stand Out:

Intermediate to advance Microsoft Office skills (including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
Intermediate to advanced understanding of investment concepts
Exposure with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI or others are a plus
Highly detail oriented, curious, and self-driven
Willingness to tackle new tasks and look for ways to improve or automate processes
Project oriented with ability to drive and compile meaningful results

Internship Culture

Principal's internship program provides hands-on experiences for 200+ interns each year. Interns learn new skills with dedicated teams and mentors, build their professional network, and collaborate across a global Fortune 500 company. The company offers diverse experiences and exciting challenges, flexibility, and work-life balance. Interns can participate in events such as the Executive Speaker Series and gain career direction.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary ranges for internships reflect targeted base salaries. Non-sales positions have the opportunity to participate in a bonus program. The salary range (Non-Exempt expressed as hourly) is $20 - $31 / hour.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, Principal is not considering applicants that need any type of immigration sponsorship (additional work authorization or permanent work authorization) now or in the future to work in the United States.

Investment Code of Ethics

For Principal Asset Management positions, you’ll need to follow an Investment Code of Ethics related to personal and business conduct as well as personal trading activities for you and members of your household. These same requirements may also apply to other positions across the organization.

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