Senior Risk Specialist

Financial Conduct Authority; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Non-contributory pension

Life assurance

Private healthcare

Volunteer hours

Flexible benefits scheme

Job summary

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in Edinburgh is seeking a Senior Risk Specialist to conduct and oversee prudential risk assessments across a diverse set of wholesale and retail firms. You will deliver rigorous analyses, support regulatory decisions, and apply core regulatory tools to strengthen financial resilience.

You will coach colleagues, engage with senior stakeholders, and contribute to a culture that values judgement, collaboration and high-quality outputs within the Financial

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of prudential risk and regulatory standards.
• Experience with FCA-regulated firms.
• Ability to assess, challenge and decide on risk in financial institutions.
• Experience coaching and mentoring colleagues.
• Excellent judgement and clear written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and support in-depth financial resilience assessments across a portfolio of firms.
• Deliver high-quality analysis and recommendations to support regulatory decisions.
• Apply prudential regulatory frameworks to a range of firm types.
• Coach and mentor Associate colleagues and develop team capability.
• Collaborate with frontline supervisors to achieve regulatory outcomes.
• Demonstrate sound judgement and accountability in line with FCA values.
• Engage with senior stakeholders to shape outcomes and strategies.
• Build regulatory insight through regulatory tools and guidance.

Skills

Prudential risk management

Regulatory frameworks

FCA-regulated firms

Stakeholder engagement

Team collaboration

Job description

Senior Risk Specialist

Division

Supervision, Policy and Competition

Department

Financial Resilience Department

Salary

• National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £53,800 to £72,000 and London from £59,200 to £80,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

Role Grade

Senior Associate, Regulatory

Recruitment Contacts

• External contact: Steve via [e-mail]
• Internal contact: Isabelle 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.

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 within the Specialist Directorate, the Financial Resilience department (FRD) leads the FCA’s efforts to minimise consumer and market harm from weaknesses in firms’ financial resilience by setting standards through rules and guidance, and by providing specialist supervision and data capabilities.

Role Responsibilities

• Conduct and support in-depth financial resilience assessments across a diverse portfolio of wholesale and retail firms, identifying vulnerabilities and help safeguard consumers, markets and financial stability giving you exposure to complex business models
• Deliver high-quality analysis and recommendations that support timely, evidence-based regulatory decisions and are well informed and effective
• Evaluate and apply the most appropriate regulatory tools, helping firms meet financial resilience standards, deepening your knowledge in prudential regulation and enhancing your decision‑making capability
• Coach and mentor Associate colleagues, sharing technical expertise and supporting capability across the team whilst developing your own people management skills
• Collaborate closely with front line supervisors, contributing to joined up regulatory outcomes, expanding your network and deepening your understanding of supervisory practices
• Demonstrate sound judgement, effective stakeholder engagement and personal accountability, acting as a role model for FCA values and behaviours
• Apply prudential regulatory frameworks across a range of firm types and business models, building technical knowledge and gain regulatory insight
• Engage professionally with senior internal and external stakeholders, providing clear advice, shaping outcomes, building alignment and contributing to strategic work

Minimum Skills required

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in prudential risk management and regulatory frameworks, enabling effective assessment of firm resilience and regulatory compliance
• Prior experience of FCA-regulated firms, including an understanding of their business models and the risks they face
• Demonstrable experience of assessing, managing, challenging, or making decisions on risk and financial resilience within regulated financial institutions

Essential

• Demonstrated ability to navigate and resolve complex prudential issues, applying sound judgement to deliver balanced and well-reasoned outcomes
• Demonstrated analytical capability with the ability to interpret complex information and articulate clear, evidence‑based views, both verbally and in high-quality written outputs
• Experience leading projects to completion within defined timelines and quality standards, ensuring delivery of robust and reliable outcomes
• A collaborative professional with a commitment to inclusion, able to build relationships, influence stakeholders, and promote alignment towards shared departmental objectives
• Experience in coaching and mentoring colleagues on professional and technical subjects, contributing to capability development and knowledge sharing within the team

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

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

• Advert Close Date: 20th November 2026 (midnight)
• CV Review/Shortlist: 24th - 26th November 2026
• Screening call with Hiring Manager 30th November - 2nd December 2026
• Interviews w/c 7th December 2026