Head of Innovation & Improvement Hub (12 month Secondment)

UK Regulators' Network; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading regulatory body based in Birmingham is seeking a Head of Innovation & Improvement Hub to lead the growth and transformation of their audit and assurance initiatives. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in regulatory innovation, stakeholder engagement, and will contribute to the UK's economic growth agenda. This role allows for flexible and hybrid working arrangements and is a fixed-term secondment position.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing regulatory policy or drafting technical material.
• Awareness of the external economic and regulatory landscape.

Responsibilities

• Leading work to support market innovation.
• Transforming the sandbox concept throughout the FRC.
• Engaging stakeholders to build robust workstreams.
• Facilitating innovative approaches for the FRC.

Skills

Experience in delivering innovation and change

Significant experience within corporate reporting

Understanding of audit and corporate reporting technologies

Experience engaging with senior stakeholders

Public speaking skills

Problem-solving abilities

Education

CCAB qualification or relevant experience

Job description

Overview

Financial Reporting Council

Regulators of auditors, accountants and actuaries, https://www.frc.org.uk/about-the-frc/careers

Requirements of the role

PLEASE EMAIL THE FRC RECRUITMENT TEAM, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON APPLYING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY – [e-mail]

Head of Innovation & Improvement Hub (12 month Secondment)

The role of the Head of the Innovation & Improvement Hub (the Hub) is to ensure the FRC can deliver on its strategic commitment to transform the FRC’s current Audit and Assurance Sandbox Initiative. The Hub will cover all aspects of the work of the FRC, expanding beyond audit and assurance into corporate and financial reporting, actuarial, thematic work on sustainability and technology and the overall stakeholder experience of our regulatory model. The Hub will focus on key priority challenges that are consistent with the FRC’s strategic themes, our overall strategy and the UK’s economic growth agenda.

The Role Involves

• Establishing the FRC’s Hub in the market as a trusted and effective regulatory enabler for growth and innovation
• Working pro-actively with the FRC’s Board, Executive Committee and Senior Leadership Team to align the work of the Hub to the FRC’s Strategic Objectives and priorities
• Maturing the Hub’s approach to inviting Hub applications from a wide range of system participants
• Managing logistics, internal and external communications in close collaboration with our Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Affairs Team (SECA)
• Delivering output in the form of policy outcomes, revised standards and/or guidance or regulatory approaches
• Developing metrics to measure the success of the Hub and reporting these regularly to senior internal and external stakeholders
• Working closely with FRC wide strategic theme leadership in areas such as sustainability and technology
• Building strong internal and external networks to leverage the impact of the Hub in the market. This would naturally include identifying opportunities to work with other UK regulators on cross-cutting issues
• Developing and maintaining knowledge of external developments relevant to the objectives of the FRC
• Active involvement in cross-FRC initiatives and working with other FRC teams as appropriate

Accountabilities

Leading work to support for market innovation in the FRC and supporting economic growth in the UK by:

• Transforming the sandbox concept to the work of the whole of the FRC
• Increasing market awareness and participation
• Engaging internal stakeholders in a matrix manner to build robust workstreams, utilising appropriate technical expertise across relevant teams
• Facilitating the development and implementation of innovative approaches for the FRC, which could include targeted guidance, influencing the development of new standards, and improved operating processes
• Responding with pace to address market needs by identifying and where appropriate, addressing regulatory issues which undermine the contribution the FRC’s work can make to UK economic growth

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

An individual with demonstrable experience in delivering innovation and change in a regulatory setting. The ideal candidates will have:

• Significant experience within the corporate reporting ecosystem
• Experience in developing regulatory policy or developing and drafting technical material
• An awareness and understanding of technologies used in audit, assurance and corporate reporting
• Understanding of the external economic and regulatory landscape
• A CCAB qualification, or other relevant experience in areas of the FRC’s policy and regulatory work is preferred

Business Interaction/Relationships & Influencing

• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset
• An established, wide-reaching network, with a proven ability to develop networks further
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders at the highest levels, both locally and internationally
• Compelling public speaker
• Problem Solving/Decision Making
• Ability to work in collaboration with others but also to make professional judgements when required
• Track record of creating an environment which fosters innovation
• Capacity to understand and balance the needs of different stakeholders
• The ability to challenge established ways of thinking

Management of Resources/Leadership Behaviours

• Comfortable operating within a matrix structure with minimal direct line management influence
• The ability to utilise internal and external partners to leverage the impact of the Growth and Innovation Hub
• Strong commitment to the FRC’s public interest purpose, Values & Behaviours and SLT Leadership Commitments

Business Impact

To significantly expand the scope of the FRC’s sandbox initiative, supporting delivery of the FRC’s proportionality, improvement regulator and UK economic growth objectives.

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Location

Birmingham, London

Contract type

Fixed term, Secondment

Profession

Head of, Innovation

Working pattern

Flexible working, Hybrid

Closing Date

30/09/2025