Executive Director, Chief Operating Officer

UK Regulators' Network; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading regulatory body in the UK is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to manage strategic priorities and lead transformative changes across technology, culture, and processes. This senior leadership role requires significant experience and judgement in a demanding stakeholder environment. The position offers a flexible working pattern and is based in London, Leeds, or Edinburgh.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in senior leadership roles, particularly in regulatory or financial sectors.
• Ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and drive change.
• Strong judgement and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development of strategic and financial priorities.
• Implement organisational operations and monitor performance.
• Lead changes in technology, culture, and processes.

Job description

Overview

Financial Conduct Authority. Regulating financial services firms and financial markets in the UK. The FCA is undertaking significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking regulator. The aim is to use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across its broad remit. The FCA is pursuing improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, market data and information management maturity to maintain leadership in financial services regulation.

In March 2025, the FCA launched a new five-year strategy to deepen trust, rebalance risk, support growth and improve lives, focusing on four priorities.

Responsibilities

• Be a smarter regulator: improve processes and embrace technology to become more efficient and effective.
• Support sustained economic growth by enabling investment and innovation and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the UK’s world-leading financial services.
• Help consumers navigate their financial lives by working with industry to boost trust, product innovation and ensuring the right information and support is available for people to take financial decisions.
• Fight financial crime by focusing on those who seek to misuse regulation, disrupt criminals and support firms to be an effective line of defence.
• The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will oversee development of strategic, financial and business priorities and implement organisational operations to deliver and report on performance against those priorities.
• The post-holder will exercise judgment over complex cross-organisation projects in a highly demanding stakeholder environment, driving changes in technology, culture and processes to support a Smarter Regulator.

The Role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key senior leadership role within the FCA, reporting directly into the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and sitting on the organisation’s most senior decision-making committees including the Executive Committee. The COO will oversee the development of strategic, financial and business priorities and ensure delivery and reporting on performance against those priorities. The role requires exercising judgement over complex cross-organisation projects in a demanding stakeholder environment and leading changes in technology, culture and processes.

Location

London, Leeds, Edinburgh

Contract type

Full time, Permanent

Profession

Chief Operating Officer, Director, Executive

Working pattern

Flexible working, Hybrid

Closing Date

08/11/2025