Lead Associate Lawyer

Financial Conduct Authority; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

A regulatory body in Greater London is seeking a qualified Lead Associate Lawyer to advise on regulatory requirements and engage in policy development. The ideal candidate will have over 7 years of PQE and strong knowledge of financial services law, particularly EMIR and MiFID/MiFIR. This full-time role offers a competitive salary and a hybrid working model, with an emphasis on a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private healthcare with Bupa

Non-contributory pension of at least 8%

Life assurance of eight times your basic salary

Flexible benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Applicants must be a qualified lawyer (solicitor, barrister or equivalent).
• Experience in financial services law, particularly EMIR and MiFID/MiFIR.

Responsibilities

• Advise on regulatory requirements and powers.
• Involve in FCA policy development.
• Devise pragmatic solutions.

Skills

Strong analytical skills

Ability to learn new legal issues quickly

Ability to create solutions

Confident advising skills

Positive relationship building

Financial services law knowledge

Education

Qualified lawyer with at least 7 years PQE

Job description

Job Title Full time or Part time Lead Associate Lawyer

Division - Legal

Salary - London ranging from 75700 to 104050 per annum and National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from 68900 to 94625. Salary offered will be based on skills and experience. Generally the FCA is unlikely to make offers at the maximum end of the range save where the candidate is exceptional.

About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of 42000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.

We are looking for a talented lawyer who is willing to learn quickly engage openly and rise to the challenge of working in an organisation that makes a difference to the lives of the millions of people who use financial services.

The role is in the Trading and Securitisation team of the Markets department which sits within the Regulatory and Corporate Legal Directorate of the Legal Division.

The team advises on trading venues (recognised investment exchanges MTFs and OTFs) securitisation MiFID / MiFIR wholesale issues commodity derivatives emissions trading OTC derivatives (EMIR) cryptoasset trading platforms securities financing transactions and regulated covered bonds. It also advises on international matters such as free trade agreements equivalence and deference and information-sharing with international partners in a supervisory context.

What will you be doing

Advise on the application and effect of regulatory requirements and powers to ensure firms comply with all applicable rules legislation and law

Be fully involved in the FCAs policy development including drafting rules and guidance in the FCA Handbook

Have a high level of ownership and responsibility for your actions

Devise and implement creative and pragmatic solutions

What will you get from the role

Work at the forefront of financial regulation and consumer protection on a range of matters including those complex and often high-profile legal issues

Acquire broader experience of financial services regulation of how a regulator works and of how law and regulation is made

Develop problem-solving and project management skills

Work in a diverse inclusive and supportive environment

Interact with colleagues across the FCA and with government departments and other organisations engaged in financial services such as the Bank of England and HM Treasury on exciting and pioneering projects

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

Applicants must be a qualified lawyer (solicitor barrister or Chartered Legal Executive or overseas equivalents) : generally a person who is at least 7 years PQE (in house public sector or private practice)

Essential

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to deliver good and clear analysis of issues
• Ability to learn about new or novel legal issues quickly and with enthusiasm with the necessary oversight and support of colleagues
• Ability to create solutions and deliver pragmatic outcome-focused advice
• Ability to advise in a confident and reasoned manner and to challenge appropriately
• Ability to build and sustain positive relationships and good communication skills
• Financial services law in particular knowledge and experience of EMIR and of MiFID / MiFIR wholesale issues

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

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 cant 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 Lead Associate - Practising Legal

One or more fixed term contract opportunities may also be available

Advert Closing Date : 12th October

Competency Based Interviews (including a written case study) : from w / c 20th October

Please note that a cover letter is not required as part of the application process (it will not be considered if you send one in).

Ensure that your CV clearly outlines your experience and ability to meet the criteria for the role as described above. The CV must be a maximum of three A4 pages and should be submitted as a single document for upload to the FCA Careers Portal.

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 Raimonda Stankute at

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