Senior Associate – Retail Investment and Distribution Policy

Financial Conduct Authority; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Financial Conduct Authority is seeking a Senior Associate in Retail Investment and Distribution Policy to develop a new disclosure regime for UK investors. This role involves significant stakeholder engagement and policy development, focusing on improving consumer protection and supporting innovation in UK markets. The successful candidate will have prior policy-making experience and strong analytical and communication skills.

Benefits

25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)

Private healthcare with Bupa

Non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary

Life assurance of eight times your basic salary

Income protection

Qualifications

• Prior policy-making experience in a regulator or Government department.
• Experience in analysing complex information to draw logical conclusions.
• Ability to work autonomously and manage complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Develop a new disclosure regime for UK investors.
• Engage with HM Treasury and various stakeholders.
• Manage large policy projects across different areas.

Skills

Policy-making experience

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Senior Associate – Retail Investment and Distribution Policy

Division – Supervision, Policy and Competition

Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £65,000 and London £57,700 to £72,000 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. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA .

The Consumer Investments Department has a vital role to play in enabling the FCA to act early and decisively when market issues appear on the horizon and making smart policy proposals which deliver the FCA’s objectives.

You will join a team of policy professionals in the Retail Investment and Distribution Policy team who are focused on shaping policy solutions that benefit consumers, markets and competition.

The Retail Investment and Distribution Policy team is responsible for ensuring that the regulatory regime governing the distribution of investment products to consumers is robust, that the associated disclosure regimes are reliable and the framework supports the FCA’s objectives. Our work focuses on improving consumer protection while supporting innovation, growth and confidence in UK markets.

What will you be doing?

The Senior Associates play a central role in developing a new disclosure regime for UK investors. Working closely with HM Treasury, you will have a good working knowledge of relevant legislative developments, the post Brexit political agenda and have an ability to identify links across various pieces of EU legislation containing retail disclosure requirements.You will be responsible for large policy projects across different areas, whilst also being engaged in internal and external stakeholder engagement to present developments in our work.

What will you get from the role?

• Opportunity to work on fundamental changes to the retail investment landscape taking place over the next decade
• Work at the heart of the Government’s new growth agenda within financial services
• The opportunity to make a tangible difference in ensuring that previous EU legislation is fit for purpose regarding UK regulations in the post Brexit environment

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 Click Here)

Minimum

• Prior policy-making experience in a regulator, Government department or firm
• Prior experience of dealing with complex policy issues
• Prior experience in analysing complex information to draw reasoned and logical inferences, and reach practical conclusions

Essential

• Experience of identifying areas of harm and proposing and developing solutions, ideally in a policy context
• Excellent drafting and oral communication skills, including the ability to distil complex messages and tailor them to different internal and external audiences
• Ability to work autonomously, proactively and to prioritise and escalate issues appropriately
• Experience of working to deliver complex projects to tight deadlines, and ability to exercise a high degree of initiative in response to changing circumstances
• Strong persuading and influencing skills, and experience of building and managing relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders
• Respects the diversity of backgrounds across the FCA and is motivated to collaborate with others, contributing to an inclusive environment which enables problem-solving and reflective policymaking

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
• Advert Closing Date:8th June at 23:59pm
• CV Review/Shortlist: 10th June
• First Round Case Study Assessment: W/C 16th June
• Competency Based Interview: W/C 26th June

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 Tahir Khan at [e-mail]

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