Lead Strategic Communications Partner

Financial Conduct Authority; Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Non-contributory pension

Private healthcare

Volunteering time

Office time in London/Leeds/Edinburgh

Job summary

Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom seeks a Lead Strategic Communications and News Partner to oversee two Strategic Communication Partner teams and to advise senior leaders on complex, high-profile issues. You will shape campaigns, manage reputational risk, and coordinate media responses across traditional and digital channels.

You will be responsible for developing strategic communications plans, mentoring staff, and ensuring delivery of impactful external communications while

Qualifications

• Proven success developing and delivering communications plans or media strategies.
• Ability to advise senior leaders on communications strategy and messaging.
• Experience coordinating responses during complex issues, crises or fast-moving events.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; translate complex information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and support 5 communications professionals across two teams.
• Review work to ensure high standards are met.
• Develop and deliver a strategic communications campaign aligned to priorities.
• Lead on complex announcements with high-quality plans and materials.
• Bring stories to life via traditional media and digital channels.
• Advise Executive Directors on political and reputational issues.
• Build relationships with senior communicators across Whitehall, Parliament and media.
• Handle media enquiries and manage sensitive, reactive issues.
• Participate in out-of-hours media queries rota.

Skills

Media relations

Leadership

Job description

Job title: Lead Strategic Communications and News Partner

Division: Operations

Department: Strategic Communications and News

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £49,600 to £66,100 and London from £54,500 to £72,500 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
• This role is graded as: Lead Associate - Corporate
• Your external recruitment contact is Raimonda via [e-mail]
• Your internal recruitment contact is Lauren via [e-mail]

About The FCA And Team

We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.

The Strategic Communications and News Department sits at the heart of the FCA's Communications Division, setting strategic direction and ensuring the FCA's external communications are clear, concise and compelling.

The department comprises three specialist teams: Strategic Communication Partners, Editorial and Speechwriting and Social Media.

The Strategic Communication Partner team is organised into six specialist teams aligned to areas across the FCA. These teams develop and deliver communications strategies that help explain the FCA's work, support organisational priorities and engage the media and other external stakeholders.

This role is responsible for overseeing two of these teams. You will oversee the development and delivery of strategic communications activity, advise senior leaders on complex and sensitive issues and play a key role in protecting and enhancing the FCA’s reputation.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and support 5 communications professionals across two Strategic Communication Partner teams while building a collaborative, results-driven culture
• Reviewing work to ensure it is delivered to a high standard
• Leading the development and delivery of a communication campaign to support one of our four strategic priorities
• Taking charge of the most complex and demanding announcements as needed, creating communication plans and materials to a high standard, including press releases, social media posts, internal messages and stakeholder emails, while partnering with communications teams to deliver results
• Proactively bringing our stories to life through traditional media, social media or other channels
• Acting as a trusted strategic communications adviser to Executive Directors and senior leaders, providing advice on high-profile, politically sensitive and reputationally significant issues
• Developing and maintaining effective relationships with senior communicators across Whitehall, Parliament, consumer groups, trade associations and the media
• Ensuring media enquiries are handled effectively and leading on the most sensitive reactive issues, including crisis and issues management
• Being part of the out-of-hours rota for media queries

Minimum

Skills required

• Demonstrated ability to manage proactive and reactive media relations, including handling media enquiries and responding to sensitive or high-profile issues
• Leadership experience, including managing and developing individuals or teams through direct line management and/or matrix management

Essential

• Proven success in developing and delivering communications plans, campaigns or media strategies
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex information into clear and compelling messages
• Experience overseeing communications activity involving significant reputational, regulatory, political or public-interest considerations
• Confidence advising senior leaders on communications strategy, stakeholder engagement and messaging
• Experience coordinating communications responses during complex issues, crises or fast-moving external events
• Demonstrated ability to balance multiple competing priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes in a demanding environment
• Solid understanding of traditional, digital and social media channels and how they support strategic communications objectives
• Ability to build credibility, influence stakeholders and establish strong working relationships across a complex organisation
• Experience using media monitoring, social listening and communications evaluation tools

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance
• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually
• Colleagues spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office each month (60% for Directors and Executive Directors) across our London, Leeds and Edinburgh offices. A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle

For a full list of our benefits and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.

Our values and culture

Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. 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.

If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support.

We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.

Disability confident: our hiring approach

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes, we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.

Useful information and timelines

Timeline

• Job advert closes: 11:59pm, 15th November 2026
• CV Review/Shortlist: 18th November 2026
• Interviews: w/c 23rd November 2026