Legal & Corporate Affairs Graduate Programme 2026 (83392)

Role: Legal and Corporate Affairs (Corporate Governance/Company Secretary) Graduate Programme 2026          

Location: Dublin (Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 or Central Park, Leopardstown, Dublin 18)

Start Date: September 2026

This role is being offered as a 23-month contract

Our Legal and Corporate Affairs Functions

Legal Function

The Legal Function has responsibility and accountability for the provision of all legal services within the AIB Group. The objective of the Legal Function is to work collaboratively with the business and support units that we provide services to, and to ensure that our advice is pragmatic, commercial and customer-focused. The Legal Function also plays a key role in controlling external legal spend in order to maximise value and avoid unnecessary external instructions. In addition, the Function has responsibility for Third Party Management and Supplier Relationship.

Corporate Affairs Function

Sitting within the Corporate Affairs Function, the Corporate Governance and Company Secretarial teams ensure a simple, efficient and compliant corporate governance structure is in place to support the AIB Group Board and Executive. The teams help the business, and our leaders achieve AIB's strategic objectives by advising on all aspects of corporate governance, acting as communicator, facilitator and advisor to the Chairman, the Group Board, the Boards of the main subsidiaries and the Executive Leadership Team, to enable effective engagement with shareholders and other relevant stakeholders.

We currently operate a hybrid working model. From January 2026 teams will work in the office three days a week and remotely two days a week. Onsite days are focused on prioritising time to collaborate and connect with our colleagues. Some teams have more days in the office than the required 3 days.

When you join our graduate programme, you can expect:

• A comprehensive induction course to ensure that you settle into your new role. During this course, you will learn about AIB, essential IT systems and risk management skills. Importantly, you will get to know other graduates through this course and kick-start your professional network.
• On-the-job learning. Our teams are vastly experienced, and our people are some of the best in the business at what they do. You will have an opportunity to learn from them on the job and work on matters which are centrally important to our business and our customers.
• Development and training. We will have a development and training programme designed to ensure your professional growth. Our programme will include both group and online learning on a variety of topics covering professional and technical skills and personal development.
• Mentoring Programme. Each of our graduates is assigned a mentor – somebody you’ll be able to turn to for advice and practical assistance.

What does a past graduate make of their programme experience?

Please click here to hear from some of our previous graduates about their experience at AIB.

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• Agile & remote working opportunities
• Rotations across different teams
• Support for further education
• Strong emphasis on work-life balance
• Structured learning & development programme
• Considerable pension benefits
• 21 Days annual leave
• 2 additional volunteer days leave

 Entry Requirements:

• Achieved or expected to achieve a minimum 2.1 Honours Degree (or equivalent for universities outside of Ireland) is a prerequisite for those joining the AIB graduate programme.
• Candidates must be fully authorised to work in Ireland or hold a valid work permit for the full duration of the 23-month contract (September 2026 – August 2028).

Confirmation of these will be sought if successful for the role.

The Closing Date for applications to this programme is 04/01/2026

Please click here to view all other available AIB graduate programmes.

Please click here for more information about AIB’s Early Careers suite and what we have to offer.

About our Graduate Programme

AIB’s award-winning Graduate Programme offers you the opportunity to gain a diverse set of experiences and capabilities to accelerate your career and personal growth. Our Learning & Development Programme has been designed to support your career journey, blending social, on the job, and formal approaches to learning.

All AIB graduates are assigned a designated People Leader who is there to help support you in your day-to-day role and responsibilities – you’re not expected to know everything!

We will have a group of graduates starting as part of our 2026 Legal & Corporate Affairs programme, along with graduates from previous years, who you will get to meet and work with throughout the programme. 

We also have a wider network of supports to avail of, such as our Employee Assistance Programme & Mentor Her, to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in your new role.

Please click here for further information about AIB’s PACT – Our Commitment to You.

Life at AIB

At AIB, we have a clear purpose - Empowering people to build a sustainable future. We want to be at the heart of our customers’ financial lives by giving them an exceptional experience. That goes for our employees too.

We are building a culture that breaks the conventions of what our customer and employees expect of a bank.

We are committed to offering our colleagues choice and flexibility in how we work and live.  Our hybrid working model enables our people to balance their time between working from home and their designated office, subject to their role, the needs of our customers and business requirements. More details on our hybrid working arrangements and expected office attendance for your role will be provided to you during the recruitment process.

AIB is an equal opportunities employer, and we pride ourselves on being the first bank in Ireland to receive the Investors in Diversity Gold Standard accreditation from the Irish Centre for Diversity. We celebrate diversity and believe in a culture of inclusion where all our employees can succeed. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees. Should you have a reasonable accommodation request please email the Talent Acquisition team at Grads@aib.ie.

AIB’s Commitment to Building a Sustainable Future

AIB’s Purpose – Empowering people to build a sustainable future – puts sustainability at the heart of our Group strategy.

Through our €30b Climate Action Fund, we are greening our loan book and supporting our customers as they transition to a cleaner, greener future. Our commitment to taking appropriate steps in creating more sustainable communities is strongly reflected in our target to become Net Zero in our own operations by 2030, as well as our ambition for 70% of all new lending to be green or transition by 2030.

For further info on all of AIB’s sustainability strategies and targets, please follow the link to view our latest Sustainability Report.