Director, Consumer Finance

Director, Consumer Finance

About the FCA 

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.  

We’re currently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit.   

Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, market data and information management maturity are all being pursued to maintain our position as a world leader in financial services regulation.  

In March 2025, the FCA launched a new 5-year strategy to deepen trust, rebalance risk, support growth and improve lives. The FCA will focus on four priorities:

• Be a smarter regulator; predictable, purposeful and proportionate. The FCA will improve its processes and embrace technology to become more efficient and effective.

• Support sustained economic growth, by enabling investment, innovation and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the UK’s world-leading financial services.

• Help consumers navigate their financial lives by working with industry to boost trust, product innovation and ensuring the right information and support is available for people to take financial decisions.

• Fight financial crime, focusing on those who seek to use the fact they are regulated to do harm. It will go further to disrupt criminals and support firms to be an effective line of defence.

Please see the full strategy here for more information

The Role   

The Director of Consumer Finance is an important senior leadership role within the Supervision, Policy and Competition (SPC) Division in the FCA. It reports directly to the Executive Director of Consumers and Competition. director will lead approximately 125-150 colleagues, located across London, Leeds and Edinburgh – working with and through a strong head of department leadership team.

This area is responsible for the regulation of 36,000 non-bank retail lending firms, ranging from small credit brokers to credit card providers and the largest high-cost credit firms in the UK. The Director will be leading key regulatory work in support of the FCA’s 5 Year Strategy – this will include reform to the policy framework for consumer credit and embedding the Consumer Duty through supervision.

To deliver their responsibilities, the role holder and their directorate will work in very close collaboration with the wider FCA Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and other FCA divisions.  

What will the candidate get from the role?  

• Joining the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting and challenging time of great change in financial services and its regulation  

• Leading a directorate of talented and committed people through significant projects whilst also delivering on business-as-usual objectives.  

• Exposure to strategic issues and key players in the world of finance, both nationally and internationally  

Key responsibilities:  

• Delivering the FCA Strategy through setting policy and managing supervision of firms in the consumer finance area.

• Leading a team of 125-150 across multiple FCA locations (London, Leeds, Edinburgh)

• Building a strong, diverse and inclusive directorate through attracting talent and developing existing talent. 

• Taking a data lead approach to supervision - leading and executing a data led strategy to systematically assess firms and implement appropriate tools in the delivery of agreed outcomes, in line with the wider FCA strategy. 

• Representing the FCA internally and externally through engagement with firms, consumer groups and other stakeholders.  

• Working collaboratively across the SPC and wider FCA leadership team.

Skills/Experience Required   

The FCA are a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that the FCA guarantees an interview to any disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role. A minimum criterion needs to be measurable from reviewing a candidate’s CV. 

Minimum   

• Strong leadership and people management skills, demonstrating commitment to diversity and inclusion and empowering leadership. 

• Strong operational delivery skills, with the ability to drive effective operational performance across diverse teams. Role model for strong leadership behaviours in line with the FCA values.

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving ability. 

• Aptitude for and experience of using data strategically to systematically assess market and/or firm outcomes. 

• Ability to drive change and process efficiency/improvements, delivering value for money and innovation. 

• Strong stakeholder management and communication capabilities. 

Essential   

• Commercial thinker able to lead strategic planning of resources, budgets, and capability strategies to deliver an effective value for money operation aligned to strategic market outcomes. 

• Experience/knowledge of the regulatory environment and/or the Consumer Finance market.  

• Understanding of the financial services market in the UK and how firms operate within it. 

• Understanding of new or technology-led business models within financial services, or a proven track record of being able to get up to speed with associated risks.  

• Ability to lead significant multidisciplinary projects and programmes which embody effective teamwork. 

• Experience of using MI strategically to assess outcomes and measure performance.   

• Ability to influence and work effectively and collaboratively with peers. 

• Ability to learn quickly about relevant regulatory issues.   

• Ability to role-model the FCA values 

• Experience of role modelling strong leadership behaviours in line with organisational values  

• The ability to inclusively lead a group of talented individuals with a wide variety of professional expertise, experience, and backgrounds.  

• An open and flexible management style and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide-ranging audience with different skills and perspectives  

Desirable  

• Knowledge and awareness of the FCA supervisory and policy approaches. 

TO APPLY

The recruitment process is being undertaken by Russell Reynolds Associates on behalf of the FCA. Please submit your full application by email to [email protected].

Please quote the role title and assignment code 2503-078L in the subject heading of the email.

More information can be found here - Position Spec

The FCA’s Values & Diversity   

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator. We serve the public and our decisions directly affect the wellbeing of people, businesses and the UK economy.  So, our values matter. They represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding our judgements, building trust and helping us to be ‘At our best’. 

The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of our organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups. 

As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements, including job shares. Please inform your recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis. 

As part of the FCA’s on-going commitment to develop our national presence, most of our vacancies are now open to working in our Edinburgh, Leeds or London offices. This means that as part of the application process you will be able to select your preference of which office location you would like to work from. 

Application Support 

We want to remove any possible barriers and are committed to providing a wide range of reasonable adjustments so that you can keep the focus on your conversations and be at your best.  

If you have an accessibility requirement, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter to discuss this further. Our aim is to make you application as easy as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible. 

Conflicts of interest  

All applicants to the FCA are required to demonstrate that they do not have other interests likely to conflict with their responsibilities as an employee of the FCA. You should declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process, and also disclose information or personal connections that, if appointed, might be open to misperception.   

Any potential conflicts of interest will not prevent candidates going forward to interview but may, if appropriate, be explored during the interview to establish how the candidate would address the issue(s) should they be successful in their application.   

Useful information  

• The closing date for this role is 23:55 on Sunday 11th May 2025 

• Selection will be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment  

• If successful, you will be required to obtain and retain SC Clearance.  

• The salary range for the role – London £200K to £255K, for National £180K to £230K.

• We operate a hybrid working policy with an expectation that senior leaders spend a minimum of 50% of their working time each month in the office. 

TO APPLY

The recruitment process is being undertaken by Russell Reynolds Associates on behalf of the FCA.

Please submit your full application by email to [email protected].

Please quote the role title and assignment code 2503-078L in the subject heading of the email.

More information can be found here - Position Spec

If you have any queries or wish to speak with someone before submitting an application, please contact [email protected]