Lead in Retail Banking Policy Team

Background Are you interested in work which is challenging, high impact and makes a real difference to people’s lives? Are you passionate about ensuring consumers are treated fairly and have access to information and financial services products that meet their needs? In the Retail Banking Directorate, we work alongside an extensive network of internal and external stakeholders to protect consumers and drive forward better outcomes for them. We are looking for a talented Lead Associate to join our Retail Banking Policy team. This role offers the chance to raise standards in the retail banking market. Your work will touch almost every UK resident’s daily life. The Retail Banking Policy team is responsible for the FCA's conduct rules relating to everyday banking products including current accounts and savings accounts. The team plays a critical role in helping ensure the Directorate delivers on its strategic priorities by developing and advising on policy that sets high standards reducing and preventing serious harm and promoting competition and positive change. We particularly welcome applications from candidates with Retail Banking expertise. You do not need to have experience of policy making, what matters is your ability to get to grips with complex issues, to communicate clearly, to take the lead on managing projects and stakeholders and to work with others to make change happen. The team’s current priorities include developing rules to protect access to cash for people who rely on it and implementation of the Consumer Duty. This includes ensuring banks continue to provide appropriate support to customers as business models change and services are increasingly moving online; and that banking products deliver good customer outcomes and offer fair value. What does this job involve? Working alongside other team members, and key internal stakeholders, the successful candidate will play a key role in delivering against the Team’s core responsibilities:

• Supporting the Manager in overseeing the activity of the team. This might include leading and overseeing development of policy proposals, preparation of high-quality policy papers for senior management and Board approval, and for public consultation, and the communication of these proposals externally
• Helping to motivate and set direction, allocating and tracking delivery of tasks and pushing forward high-quality performance
• Identifying and escalating risks to the team’s delivery, consumers and/or markets
• Influencing and developing the team and department’s strategy, helping to define priority outcomes and measures of success
• Line managing up to 2 associates, coaching and developing members of the team and sharing knowledge actively across the team
• Leading on developing and maintaining key external and internal stakeholder relationships to deliver outcomes in line with our strategic priorities
• Leading and overseeing the provision of quality policy advice and support to supervisors, firms, consumers and trade and consumer bodies

What will you get from this role? As a key member of the team, you will contribute to setting priorities and lead on complex and high-profile projects that impact the everyday financial lives of UK consumers.
You will get to work on high priority projects using your analytical and leadership skills to help to ensure the team delivers against the FCA’s strategy and business plan commitments and ultimately delivers against the core objectives. About You Minimum We are a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to disabled candidates entering under the scheme, who best meet the minimum criteria for a role.

• Significant regulatory experience relevant to consumer protection in Retail Banking and/or other sectors
• Experience of leading complex work
• Experience of making judgements – solving problems and presenting analysis and recommendations to senior stakeholders
• Excellent drafting skills

Essential

• Evidence of analysing large amounts of complex information, identifying the key themes, drawing logical conclusions and developing and implementing strategies
• Experience of identifying key risks to consumers and/or markets and developing strategies to manage those risks
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to support the team to distil complex issues into succinct messages; present confidently and credibly to a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Strong management capability (e.g., project management) to help plan, prioritise and allocate work within the team
• Ability to work independently, use sound judgement and escalate issues appropriately
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills; able to work effectively as part of a team and build and maintain relationships with senior management, other regulators and staff at all levels
• A curious and inquisitive mindset, and an ambition to deliver in the public interest
• Willingness to look outside your own role and identify opportunities to improve the way the department conducts its work
• Inclusive approach – respects the diversity of cultural, social and academic backgrounds found in the organisation and able to adapt personal style to effectively engage individuals from a wide-range of backgrounds

Desirable

• Experience managing, developing, motivating or coaching others
• Specific knowledge of retail banking
• Specific experience of leading policy making

Our Values All FCA colleagues are expected to demonstrate behaviours in line with our five values – Deliver in the public interest, Act with integrity, Be ambitious, Work inclusively and Connect and deliver. Through the selection process we check for alignment to our values. For more detail on our values, please see here. Additional Information

• This role is graded Lead Associate - Regulatory
• This is a permanent role
• This role can be based in London, Edinburgh and Leeds
• The salary range for London is approximately £53,300 - £65,000 depending on the successful candidate’s skills and qualifications, plus a competitive benefits package and non-contributory pension
• The salary range for Edinburgh is approximately £49,700 - £61,400 depending on the successful candidate’s skills and qualifications, plus a competitive benefits package and non-contributory pension
• The salary range for Leeds is approximately £49,700 - £61,400 depending on the successful candidate’s skills and qualifications, plus a competitive benefits package and non-contributory pension
• Applications for this role close on 29th May 2023
• If you are external and interested in learning more about the role, please contact Chhavi Bartaria on chhavi.bartaria@fca.org.uk
• If you are internal and interested in learning more about the role, please contact Kezia Downie on kezia.downie@fca.org.uk

The FCA supports hybrid working and you will be expected to work 40% of your time over a month, in our office. We will consider other flexible arrangements, for example part time working, and you can discuss this with the recruiter. Please note – Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.