Associate Forensic Accountant

Financial Conduct Authority; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 57,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

A regulatory body in London is looking for a Forensic Accountant to join their Proceeds of Crime Team. The role involves investigating financial crimes, managing complex caseloads, and collaborating with various teams to trace criminal assets. Ideal candidates will hold a professional accounting qualification and have strong analytical and communication skills. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits including hybrid working arrangements.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Hybrid working

Private healthcare

Non-contributory pension

Life assurance

Income protection

Qualifications

• Experience in serious fraud cases and complex financial crimes.
• Experience delivering presentations to stakeholders and courts.
• Ability to manage multiple projects under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Investigate financial data to trace criminal assets.
• Prepare witness statements for legal support.
• Develop investigation strategies with teams.

Skills

CIMA, ACA, or ACCA qualification

Analysing financial data

Managing caseload

Advanced Excel skills

Communication of financial analysis

Project management

Education

Qualified forensic accountant

Tools

Data analysis tools

Job description

Forensic Accountant – Associate - FTC 12 Months

Division: Enforcement and Market Oversight

Department: Wholesale and Unauthorised Business

Team: Proceeds of Crime

Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £61,800.00 and London £57,700 to £68,000.00 per annum (salary offered will be based on skills and experience).

About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. About the FCA.

Are you a qualified forensic accountant eager to apply your expertise to meaningful work? Join the FCA’s Proceeds of Crime Team, where your skills will help ensure that criminals do not benefit from financial misconduct, that assets obtained through crime are recovered and that victims receive compensation.

This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to high-profile investigations, working closely with Accredited Financial Investigators and Financial Intelligence Officers to make a tangible impact. You will be involved in probing cases of insider dealing, fraud, money laundering and other serious financial crimes.

Your responsibilities will include investigating complex financial data to trace criminal proceeds and assets, supporting legal action by preparing witness statements and court documentation and collaborating with colleagues to develop robust case strategies. You will also contribute to enforcement judgements and manage a dynamic caseload, balancing multiple priorities effectively.

This position offers an engaging and rewarding environment for forensic accountants who are motivated by the opportunity to safeguard the integrity of financial markets and ensure that justice is served.

What will you be doing?

• Evaluate, evidence and present financial data—including financial statements, management accounts, audit working papers, banking records and trading data—to trace and demonstrate the extent and location of criminal assets, including those in foreign jurisdictions
• Present financial analysis to senior stakeholders, non-specialists and in court proceedings, drafting documents such as witness statements, file notes and notes for in-house lawyers and external Counsel
• Contribute to discussions with Executive Directors and senior internal decision-makers, providing insight to inform strategic decisions
• Prepare witness statements to support court applications by Accredited Financial Investigators for restraint orders, freezing orders, search and seizure warrants and forfeiture and confiscation orders
• Progress a portfolio of complex casework, identifying and recommending investigative lines of enquiry based on your financial analysis, often under competing and pressured deadlines
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues across the Proceeds of Crime Team, Criminal Prosecutions Team and wider FCA to support collaborative investigations

What will you get from the role?

• Experience working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, where every day presents new complexities in financial crime investigations
• Exposure to high-profile case work, including complex financial crimes and crypto-asset investigations, allowing you to develop deep subject-matter expertise
• Opportunities to become an expert in emerging areas of financial crime, including tracing and exploring digital assets
• Direct access to senior management, providing visibility of strategic decision-making and enhancing your professional influence
• Comprehensive training and upskilling opportunities to support continuous career development and growth
• A goal-oriented package that reflects the high level of responsibility and impact of your work

Which skills are required?

We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme)

Minimum

• Experience in being a CIMA, ACA, or ACCA qualified forensic accountant (or holding a similar internationally recognised qualification), with proven experience in any of the following areas: financial markets, serious fraud cases, complex financial crime, or litigation/disputes.
• Prior experience in analysing large volumes of financial and business data, drawing key findings and delivering clear, confident oral and written presentations to senior stakeholders, courts, or enforcement teams. Experience could include preparing detailed reports or witness statements that informed legal or enforcement action
• Experience in managing and progressing a challenging and varied caseload, meeting tight deadlines and delivering results under pressure.

Essential

• Proficiency in organising and analysing large volumes of financial information and data, demonstrating advanced Excel skills and/or experience with data analysis tools
• Ability to identify lines of enquiry from financial information, including financial statements, banking records and trading data, to support investigations and asset tracing
• Experience in communicating complex financial analysis clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, including explaining unfamiliar financial concepts to non-specialist or lay audiences
• Ability to make timely, evidence-based decisions, exercising professional judgment and defending conclusions where necessary, while collaborating with investigation teams to focus the scope of investigations, develop case strategies, identify key risks and propose mitigation of risk
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with a “can do” attitude, maintaining progress across a varied, high-pressure caseload while delivering quality results under tight deadlines

Our Values & Diversity

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views and experiences. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better regulation.

Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.

Did you know? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.

Benefits of working at the FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
• Private healthcare with Bupa
• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age – up to 12% a month once you reach age 35)
• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary
• Income protection

We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.

We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements. Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours and job shares. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we can explore what might work best for both sides.

Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA

Application Support

We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Useful Information and Timeline

• This role is graded as Senior Associate – Regulatory
• Closing Date: 09th November
• Shortlist received: 12th November
• First Stage Interview: w/c 24 November

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.

Got a question?

If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact:

Recruiter – [e-mail]

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.