Senior Market Conduct and Post Trade Policy Associate

Division – Infrastructure & Exchanges

Department - Market Conduct & Post Trade Policy

Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £51,700 to £64,000 and London £56,400 to £70,400 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.

We are looking to fill two Senior Associate roles in the Market Conduct & Post Trade Policy team.  You will join a dedicated team of policy professionals who are focused on shaping creative and evidence-based policy solutions that benefit consumers, markets and competition. We work collaboratively to solve problems and flexibly to delivery market integrity. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and encouraging new ideas. 

This is a critical and exciting time to be closely involved in the shaping of the future policy framework for the UK’s wholesale markets in order to improve the functioning of the UK market and to respond to new challenges and issues.  This role will provide unique experience of working in a dynamic environment at the heart of the FCA’s agenda for developing the UK financial market and will contribute directly to our successful delivery of our statutory objective of ensuring that markets work well. 

The team lead on policy relating to short selling, market abuse, derivatives, settlement and the regulations that governs those markets. Some of the key projects we are delivering include the Digital Securities Sandbox, T+1 settlement, the Private Intermittent Securities Capital Exchange (PISCES) and the repeal and replace of the UK Short Selling Regulation. We are particularly looking for candidates with an understanding of the legal framework relating to any of these policy areas and/or a regulatory or policy background.  

What will you be doing?

• Driving and overseeing policy workstreams to support the Government agenda to lead innovation, growth and efficiency in the UK market

• Develop or have good knowledge of wholesale markets and products, and the UK regulatory framework and legislation that governs them

• Lead and support the internal presentation, and external consultation, on policy proposals, including full cost-benefit analysis and use of relevant data sets

• Draft and present policy proposals to FCA Senior Management and deliver public consultation of proposals

• Collaborate with others across the FCA to harness expertise and knowledge from other departments, including the Legal Division, Market Oversight, Supervision and Competition & Economics

• Engage effectively with other regulatory stakeholders, including HM Treasury, Prudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England, other international regulators and our independent panels, to communicate FCA policy views, influence others and manage key relationships  

What will you get from the role?

This role is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of policy in the FCA in a new and evolving area of policy. The role is best suited to those who are interested in working in a fast-paced, flexible environment. 

As part of this role, you will have the opportunity to: 

• Get significant exposure to UK capital markets, working closely with a wide array of stakeholders, include market participants, trade bodies and other regulatory and government bodies

• Play an important role in shaping wholesale markets in the UK at a time of significant change

• Gain exposure to FCA Senior Management, with periodic discussions at both ERPC and the FCA Board 

As an Academy Business we place great value on learning and at the FCA we offer world-class development opportunities which will assist you in achieving your career aspirations. 

Which skills are required?

We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here)

Minimum

• Experience of managing a wide range of stakeholders

• Excellent written communication skills 

• Experience of working in wholesale markets, or prior regulatory roles providing exposure to wholesale market participants 

Essential

• Experience of policy-making and good understanding of the UK policy and legislative processes

• Evidence of reviewing large amounts of complex information, identifying the key themes, drawing logical conclusions and developing and implementing strategies 

• Ability to project plan, prioritise and work quickly on key tasks, while identifying and managing risks 

• Excellent drafting and oral communication skills 

• Ability to build and maintain relationships with senior management, other regulators and staff at all levels within the FCA 

• Working effectively and inclusively as part of a team 

Our Values & Diversity

We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. 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.

Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.

Did you know? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.

The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of the organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, minority ethnic, disabled, and neurodivergent candidates for our senior associate role.

Benefits of working at the FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)

• Private healthcare with Bupa 

• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8%

• Life assurance

• Income protection

We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.

We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements.  Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours, and job shares.  We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we can explore what might work best for both sides. Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA

Application Support

We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Useful Information and Timeline

• This role is graded as: Senior Associate - Regulatory

• Advert Closing Date: 18th February

• Case study & competency interview: 28th February – 5th March

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. 

Got a question?

If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact: 

• For external applicants, please contact Aaron Ward at [email protected]

• For internal applicants, please contact Lucy Matthews at [email protected]

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.