Athene

HQ
West Des Moines
1,254 Total Employees
Year Founded: 2009

What's It Like to Work at Athene?

Updated on April 01, 2026

This page summarizes recurring themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Athene and has not been reviewed or approved by Athene.

What's it like to work at Athene?

Strengths in market position, stability, and benefits are accompanied by challenges in workload intensity, managerial consistency, and uneven advancement paths. Together, these dynamics suggest a performance-oriented environment with solid rewards and learning for the right roles, but one where fit depends on tolerance for pace and the specific team’s leadership and career trajectory.

Key Insight for Candidates

Defining tradeoff: Apollo-driven performance culture with strong benefits and equity versus a high-tempo, metrics‑heavy environment with stricter in‑office expectations. Expect overtime spikes and limited remote flexibility. This matters if you value predictability or WFH; success favors those comfortable with pace, oversight, and being on‑site.

Evidence in Action

  • Ownership Alignment Programs One Apollo stock ownership program and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) explicitly link employee rewards to firm performance and shared equity. Employees feel like owners, sharpening performance focus and reinforcing Athene’s reputation as a high‑accountability, results‑driven employer.
  • BEAM Values Cadence BEAM values—Believe in your co‑workers, Engage actively, Act like owners, Make it happen—codify an execution‑first culture. Employees experience fast pace, measurable goals, and tight delivery standards, shaping expectations and strengthening the external perception of a high‑performance workplace.

Positive Themes About Athene

  • Market Position & Stability: The business operates at significant scale within a well-capitalized parent, with ongoing growth initiatives indicating a durable platform. Industry momentum and a focused niche in retirement solutions create steady deal flow and impact.
  • Benefits & Perks: Offerings include flexible/paid time off, retirement programs (401(k)/ESPP), parental and family care leave, mental-health resources, and on-site fitness and amenities. Participation in broader stock ownership programs adds alignment and upside potential.
  • Learning & Development: Feedback suggests strong training, mentorship, and hands-on exposure through internships and early-career tracks, particularly in the West Des Moines hub. Access to complex projects via the parent organization broadens skills in actuarial, finance, tech, and risk.

Considerations About Athene

  • Workload & Burnout: A fast pace with busy seasons, extended hours, and queue pressure—especially in contact center and operations roles—can strain balance. Some salaried roles report weekend work and limited flexibility around comp time.
  • Weak Management: Feedback suggests uneven middle-management practices, communication gaps, and top-down decision making that varies by team. Coaching in some areas is experienced as heavily metrics-driven with limited positive engagement.
  • Career Stagnation: Advancement opportunities appear uneven across teams, with limited upward movement cited in some operations and customer-facing roles. Pay progression and promotion paths can feel constrained relative to workload and expectations.
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These insights are generated using AI and may not reflect internal data or verified company information. They are intended solely for general informational purposes and should not be considered a definitive assessment of the company’s reputation. If you are a representative of this company, and would like this page to be removed, you may contact us via this form.
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