Payment Services Compliance Manager

ZipRecruiter; London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy seeks a Compliance Consultant to deliver financial services compliance solutions under the FCA regulations. This role involves managing client relationships, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting business development. Ideal candidates will have a relevant financial services background and excellent client management skills.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 - 30 days holiday entitlement

Company pension scheme

Private Medical Insurance

Gym membership contribution

Dynamic working environment

Qualifications

• Relevant Financial Services or Consultancy background.
• Experience in a similar role including exposure to people management.
• Ability to conduct thorough research and analyze data.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor, building relationships with clients.
• Lead client projects ensuring quality and timely delivery.
• Provide expert guidance on regulatory requirements.

Skills

Regulatory Knowledge

Problem Solving

Client Management

Communication

Team Working

Proactivity

Education

Degree level educational attainment

Job description

Job Description

Thistle Initiatives is a multi-award-winning regulatory consultancy, providing expert compliance advice and support across the financial services sector. Our clients range from niche start-ups to long-established market leaders covering the following verticals: Financial Crime, Investments, Payment Services and Credit and Insurance.

We have a fantastic opportunity for the right individual to take advantage of developing a unique career with Thistle in delivering a range of financial services compliance solutions for those firms regulated by the FCA under the Payment Services Regulations.

Thistle is looking for an individual to join the team that is passionate about Payment Services and has a strong drive to learn and succeed. This opportunity provides a unique opportunity for the right individual to take advantage of developing a career with Thistle in delivering a range of financial services compliance solutions for those firms regulated by the FCA under the Payment Services Regulations. The individual should be able to demonstrate knowledge and experience in financial services compliance, ideally with exposure to the Payment Services sector. They should be enthusiastic about supporting a variety of firms with their compliance requirements.

Key responsibilities

Responsibilities are wide-ranging and varied, given the exciting projects we work on. We are keen to speak to people with a passion for problem solving, building products, mentoring and growing success teams, and delivering high quality outputs.

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted advisor, building strong relationships with clients and gaining a deep understanding their business models.
• Lead client projects from inception to completion, ensuring high-quality, timely delivery, and client satisfaction.
• Support the Payment Services Partner in responding to client inquiries, identifying opportunities, and converting leads into new business.
• Contribute to business development efforts by identifying growth opportunities, participating in proposals and pitches, and helping to expand the firm’s client base.
• Present findings, recommendations, and reports to senior stakeholders, boards, and regulators, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and regulatory alignment..

Regulatory Compliance & Advisory

• Provide expert guidance on regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices.
• Conduct regulatory gap analyses and compliance assessments for clients.
• Develop and implement compliance frameworks, policies, and procedures tailored to client needs.
• Monitor regulatory changes and assess their impact on client operations.
• Liaise with regulators and support clients through licensing, audits, and regulatory interactions.

Risk Management & Governance

• Develop and oversee risk management frameworks, including identification, assessment, and mitigation strategies.
• Conduct risk assessments, internal audits, and control reviews.
• Support clients in enhancing corporate governance structures and internal control mechanisms.

Sales, Marketing and Business Development

• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand the firm’s regulatory, risk, and compliance services, generating new business opportunities.
• Lead the preparation and delivery of proposals, tailoring solutions to client needs and successfully concluding sales.
• Take ownership of client and sales inquiries, coordinating responses with senior management and converting leads into new engagements.
• Build and maintain a strong professional network, attending industry events, seminars, and discussion groups to promote the firm’s services.
• Stay informed of regulatory and legislative changes, assessing their impact on target markets and developing relevant client solutions.
• Support the firm’s strategic growth by identifying opportunities for service expansion across multiple sectors.
• Contribute to the firm’s thought leadership by producing blogs, articles, and other content that showcases industry insights and promotes the firm’s expertise in regulatory compliance and risk management.
• Actively seek upselling and cross-selling opportunities within existing client relationships to enhance service delivery and revenue growth.

Team Management

• Provide line management, coaching, and development to more junior team members, supporting their professional growth and career development.
• Play an active role in training, knowledge sharing, and upskilling within the team to maintain high standards of regulatory expertise.
• Support the relevant Partner in managing and motivating a team of compliance and risk professionals, ensuring high-quality service delivery to clients.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performance team culture, providing guidance on best practices and regulatory developments.
• Assist in resource planning and workload management to optimise team efficiency and service delivery.

This role is not limited to the above duties. Due to the nature of the market, you will need to be adaptable and open to change in this position.

Key Competences

Behavioural

• Commercial Awareness: Must be mindful of the commercial objectives of the firm when delivering compliance assistance
• Commitment & enthusiasm: Should have a desire to see themselves and the firm succeed
• Embraces change: Should be adaptable to the changing requirements of the business and be keen to develop new skills
• Communication: Ability to communicate openly and effectively, both internally and externally, in order to deliver the requirements of our client firms, with the ability to adapt to different audiences
• Personal Credibility: Must be able to establish and maintain trusting relationships with others
• Team working: Foster effective and productive working relationships (should be considerate to the needs and opinions of others)
• Pro-activity: Must actively seek new tasks and have a growth mindset
• Self-driven: The ability to work autonomously and as a team player
• Determined: Have the resilience and tenacity to support projects from start to finish
• Written communication skills: Should have the ability to draft written communications and documentation in an articulate way and to a high standard
• Individual working: Must be able to work under own initiative identifying when referral needs to be made
• Time management: Must be able to prioritise and manage time and tasks effectively, this includes a readiness to delegate where possible with efficient organisation and time management skills

Technical

• In-depth understanding of FCA regulatory frameworks (e.g., Payment Services Regulations, Electronic Money Regulations, Consumer Duty)
• Strong working knowledge of regulatory handbooks, guidance, and consultation processes
• Skilled in gap analyses, readiness assessments, and remediation planning

Drafting and reviewing policies and procedures aligned to regulatory expectations

Experience/Qualifications

• Relevant Financial Services or Consultancy background.
• Educational attainment at degree level desirable but not essential.
• Recent and relevant experience in a similar role including exposure to people management and development.
• Be numerate, articulate, and analytical and competent with all Microsoft packages.
• Demonstrate an ability to solve problems in a rational manner.
• Ability to demonstrate an awareness of the immediate and the wider implications when applying regulation in practice.
• Ability to conduct thorough research and analyse data.

We offer

• Competitive salary and the ability to grow your career within Thistle Initiatives
• 25 - 30 days holiday entitlement depending on length of service
• Company pension scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Gym membership contribution
• Fantastic City of London location and working environment
• Working with dynamic teams with regular social events

If you are looking to springboard your career to the next level and would like to be part of a supportive and dynamic culture, then please apply.