Intern - Investment Solutions (Summer 2027)

Principal Financial Group • Des Moines, IA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Principal Asset Management’s Investment Solutions team develops customized, outcome-oriented investment strategies for institutional and wealth clients worldwide. The team specializes in Liability-Driven Investing (LDI), Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) solutions, strategic asset allocation, derivatives-based strategies, portfolio construction, and investment risk management. It also advances analytical capabilities, process innovation, and AI-enabled tools to enhance decision-making, efficiency, and scalable investment excellence.

The Summer 2027 intern will assist with investment-related functions, learn LDI concepts, and contribute to the development and implementation of investment solutions. The role includes preparing client-facing materials, using investment tools, improving analytical and reporting workflows, and developing or evaluating AI-enabled tools and analyses. The internship is full-time and onsite at Principal’s global headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa.

Principal Asset Management, a subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, offers global asset management expertise across traditional and alternative asset classes. The internship is part of an established program serving more than 200 interns each year, with hands-on experience, dedicated teams and mentors, networking, cross-company collaboration, professional development events, and flexibility and work-life balance. The position pays $29 per hour and includes a $4,000 lump-sum stipend, with a tax gross-up. Paid company holidays and any time off required in the intern’s state are provided. This position is not pension eligible.

Applicants must not require immigration sponsorship or additional work authorization now or in the future to work in the United States. Employees in Principal Asset Management positions must follow an Investment Code of Ethics covering personal and business conduct and personal trading activities, including applicable household members. Principal uses AI tools to assist with initial application review, fraud prevention, and candidate matching; these tools support human recruiters and do not make final hiring decisions without human involvement.

Requirements

• Be working toward a bachelor’s degree in financial mathematics, accounting, finance, economics, or a related major.
• Have completed intermediate-level coursework in finance.
• Have additional exposure to investment concepts through student organizations or work/internship experiences.
• Be able to work onsite, full-time in Des Moines over the summer of 2027.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present ideas clearly and confidently to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex analytical findings into concise recommendations for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to identify process inefficiencies and develop scalable solutions to improve team effectiveness.
• Demonstrated commitment to a career in investment management through academic achievement, investment research, student investment organizations, internships, or related experiences.
• Must not need immigration sponsorship or additional work authorization now or in the future to work in the United States.
• Follow the Investment Code of Ethics applicable to Principal Asset Management positions, including provisions related to personal and business conduct and personal trading activities.

Nice To Haves

• Previous work or internship experience in asset management or a related financial services field.
• Strong interest in strategic asset allocation, fixed income markets, derivatives, institutional investing, pension risk management, or OCIO solutions.
• A GPA of 3.5 or higher and/or progress toward a CFA charter.
• Experience using Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar AI platforms.
• Experience building AI agents, copilots, automations, workflow solutions, or analytical tools.
• Familiarity with Python, APIs, data analytics, dashboard development, workflow automation, or related technologies.
• Curiosity regarding governance, controls, model risk, and responsible implementation of AI-enabled solutions.
• Interest in long-term professional development within asset management, institutional consulting, portfolio management, OCIO, investment strategy, or asset allocation.
• Pursuit of or intent to pursue the CFA designation; progress toward the CFA Program or familiarity with CFA curriculum concepts will be viewed favorably.

Responsibilities

• Learn Liability-Driven Investment (LDI) concepts and contribute to developing and implementing sophisticated investment solutions.
• Design client-facing reports and presentations.
• Use advanced investment tools to generate data for client-facing materials.
• Gain exposure to investment solution design and delivery to clients or prospects.
• Optimize existing structuring and reporting processes.
• Develop and apply AI agents to enhance investment analysis, research, reporting, knowledge management, and team workflows.
• Identify opportunities to improve analytical, structuring, and reporting processes through automation and process redesign.
• Assist in developing scalable analytical frameworks supporting strategic asset allocation, OCIO, LDI, and derivative-based investment solutions.
• Support the creation of investment dashboards, knowledge repositories, and decision-support tools for investment professionals.
• Evaluate AI-generated analyses and outputs for accuracy, consistency, and investment suitability.
• Contribute to projects involving portfolio construction, risk management, investment strategy, and workflow optimization.
• Assist with integrating data from multiple investment systems and sources to improve analytical efficiency and scalability.

Benefits

• $4,000 lump-sum internship stipend, with a tax gross-up.
• Paid company holidays and time off required in the intern’s state.
• Internship program offering hands-on experience, dedicated teams and mentors, professional networking, cross-company collaboration, career-development events, and flexibility and work-life balance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern