Payments Supervision Specialist

Financial Conduct Authority; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial regulator in the UK is seeking a Payments Supervision Specialist to deliver expert insights, support firm cases, and lead supervisory themes in the payments sector. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, proven payments regulatory experience, and leadership capabilities. This role offers a competitive salary ranging from £72,100 to £87,100, a hybrid working model, and benefits including private healthcare and a flexible benefits scheme.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work

Non-contributory pension

Private healthcare with Bupa

35 hours of paid volunteering annually

Flexible benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Proven experience of applying or advising on UK payments regulatory requirements.
• Judgement‑based decision making focusing on risk management.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership and coaching.

Responsibilities

• Deliver expert insights on payments regulation and supervision.
• Support firm cases and initiatives to ensure robust decision‑making.
• Assess industry changes for proactive supervision strategies.
• Lead on key supervisory themes and provide guidance.
• Build strong partnerships with key regulatory bodies.
• Grow team capability through training and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Proven experience in UK payments regulation

Judgement‑based decision making

Leadership and mentorship

Strong analytical capability

Excellent communication skills

Autonomy in work

Risk‑based decision making

Data analysis and reporting

Job description

Payments Supervision Specialist

Division: Supervision, Policy and Competition

Department: Market Interventions – Payments and Digital Assets

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £72,100 to £87,100 and London from £79,300 to £95,800 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
• This role is graded as: Technical Specialist, Regulatory
• Your recruitment contact is Shafika Shaikh via [e-mail]. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.

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.

SPC oversees firms and individuals (supervision), creates and reviews the rules by which they operate (policy) and identifies and remedies ineffective competition in markets (competition). Sitting in the Payments and Digital Assets directorate, the Market Intervention department supervises and drives regulatory standards in payments and crypto asset firms.

Role responsibilities

• Deliver expert insights on payments regulation and supervision. Apply deep expertise in financial resilience, safeguarding customer funds, and financial crime to shape firm operations and protect vulnerable customers, influencing industry standards and consumer trust.
• Support firm cases, multi-firm initiatives, and industry forums with high‑quality input to ensure robust decision‑making and effective supervision, driving collaboration and innovation.
• Assess industry and regulatory changes to enable proactive supervision strategies and portfolio planning, shaping the future of payments oversight.
• Lead on key supervisory themes, own critical areas like safeguarding and financial crime as the go‑to expert, providing clarity and confidence to teams and stakeholders for consistent, excellent practices.
• Build strong external partnerships by representing the department in discussions with bodies such as the Bank of England, HM Treasury, and trade associations to strengthen regulatory alignment and amplify FCA’s influence.
• Grow team capability through knowledge sharing, design and deliver training, teach‑ins, and technical guidance to elevate expertise and foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.

Skills required

Minimum

• Proven experience of applying or advising on UK payments and/or e‑money regulatory requirements in a regulatory, legal, compliance or industry role.
• Prior experience of judgement‑based decision making, with a focus on prudential, financial crime or operational resilience risk management.
• Demonstratable experience in leadership; coaching, mentoring and supporting less experienced team members.

Essential

• Strong analytical capability with a proven ability to quickly, clearly and efficiently draw out key implications from a broad and varied range of information.
• A subject matter expert in understanding and interpreting the payments sector and business models within it. This should be accompanied with a demonstrated ability to quickly fill any gaps in understanding.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the credibility to effectively engage with FCA senior management.
• The ability to work with a high degree of autonomy.
• A risk‑based approach to decision making, including the ability to reach sound and timely judgements which can be justified in a concise and effective manner.
• Ability to work with centralised and local data sources to produce and present reports and insight.

Benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work.
• 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.
• 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.

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 timeline

• Job advert close: 1st December 2025 (midnight)
• CV Review/Shortlist: w/c 3rd December 2025
• First Interview: w/c 8th December 2025
• 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.