Applications for the 2026 intake of the Rabobank New Zealand Graduate Programme are now open.
The 18 month-long programme offers university graduates with an interest in agri banking the opportunity to begin their careers with New Zealand’s only specialist food and agribusiness bank.
Six graduates from around the country will be selected for the programme, where they will gain experience and be given career development support, within the bank’s Country Banking division.
Announcing the opening of applications, Rabobank New Zealand General Manager for Country Banking Bruce Weir said the bank first ran its Graduate Programme in 2019 and more than 40 graduates had now been employed as part of the programme.
“As a food and agri banking specialist, Rabobank has a strong focus on creating more pathways for young people within the industry,” he said.
"Alongside our client council network, we are involved with a number of initiatives which focus on attracting young people into careers across New Zealand’s agricultural sector, and our Graduate Programme is one of the key initiatives we undertake to support this objective.”
Rabobank New Zealand's 2025 Graduate Programme Intake
Applications for the programme close on 21 May and the new intake of graduates will begin the programme early next year.
Mr Weir said up to 15 graduates will be shortlisted for the six positions on offer with all short-listed candidates invited to attend a one-day in-person assessment session in Rabobank’s Wellington office.
“This session will provide graduates with an opportunity to showcase their skills and capabilities, meet employees from a number of Rabobank teams, and to get a feel for what it’s like working for Rabobank New Zealand,” he said.
“It will also allow us to evaluate graduate competencies and help ensure we’re selecting the graduates who are the best cultural fit for the bank.”
Mr Weir said the six successful candidates who emerge from the selection process will spend time with several different Rabobank teams across New Zealand.
“The programme is broken up into three six-month rotations which give participants an opportunity to spend time working as part of our Country Banking team in several of our 27 offices located across Aotearoa,” he said.
“Graduates will be supported by our Graduate Programme team – which is made up of previous graduates and members of our Human Resource and Country Banking teams – and they’ll also get the chance to come together regularly for our twice yearly in-person graduate catch-ups.
“Since the inception of the programme in 2019, our graduates have made an important contribution to the business and the vast majority who have completed the programme have gone into permanent roles within the bank.”
One of the 2024 intake of graduates, Alice Dalzell, said she decided to apply for the Rabobank graduate programme as the bank’s food and agri focus resonated with her.
“Growing up in a rural community, I hold a profound passion and deep respect for the agricultural industry,” she said.
“Rabobank really appealed to me as it has a strong focus on supporting farmers, not only through the highs, but also the lows, and this is something that not every company prioritises.”
Ms Dalzell said she’d been based in several locations across the North Island during her time as a graduate.
“My first six months were in Gisborne, before I moved on to Feilding, and now I have just moved to Hamilton for my final rotation,” she said.
“Throughout this time, I have experienced a tremendous amount of support from my fellow team members in each office. This has included assistance with client reviews, taking me on client and prospect visits, and providing information on numerous other day-to-day work activities. During each rotation, I worked alongside different managers which provided me with the opportunity to learn their different techniques and how they did things.”
Ms Dalzell said the best thing about the graduate programme is being able to meet and build relationships with different people inside and outside the bank.
“The three six-month rotations allow grads to act like a sponge and learn from other employees, build relationships and develop their understanding of different departments,” she said.
“I think the true beauty of the programme is it really puts you outside of your comfort zone as you’re required to move every six months and embed yourself into a number of amazing rural communities across New Zealand.”
With her final rotation due to finish later in the year, Ms Dalzell said, she would soon start applying for a new permanent role within the bank.
“In the next six months, I will apply for a role as an analyst somewhere in the North Island which will give me the opportunity to further develop my skill set and to build new relationships with different staff and bank clients.”
With strong demand expected for a place on the programme, interested recent graduates (or those eligible to graduate prior to February 2026) are urged to apply before 21 May at www.rabobank.co.nz/graduate-careers/.