Data Approach & Initiatives Manager

Data Strategy & Services, Data Technology & Innovation

Salary: National ranging from £67,100 to £109,000 and London from £73,700 to £119,800

Are you looking for a role where you can make a real difference to the 40 million consumers of financial products, the 2 million people who work in the UK Financial Services industry, and the stability of our economy as a whole?

The FCA has three objectives, it is responsible for:

• Ensuring that markets operate with integrity;

• Promoting effective competition; and

• Protecting consumers of financial services

Piqued your interest? Come and join us.

The team/department

The Data Strategy & Services department, within the Intelligence & Digital Division, drives the FCA’s Data Strategy by enhancing the value of data through data management, governance and analysis activities and providing central co-ordination of all data-related activities. As part of the Data, Technology & Innovation Division, we are leading the FCA in harnessing the power of data and advanced analytics to transform financial regulation.

In Intelligence & Digital, we believe in doing things differently. We believe the best approach is sometimes a new approach. We place emphasis on curiosity and experimentation. We collaborate widely with academics, innovative companies, and the rest of the FCA. We believe that people need space to continue learning and the support to develop new ideas, so we commit to giving them both.

What you will be doing (the role)

You will, in partnership with the business, create the ability to optimise and transform the use of data which over the next decade will result in real and lasting change. You will drive engagement to deliver the forthcoming FCA data roadmap to ensure the FCA maximises being a data led regulator. You will ensure that in tangible ways data is more streamlined, simple, and effective for all parties. You will collaborate with colleagues and leaders to embed the benefits of data, understand business needs, engagement and deliver real outcomes. You will lead the people and cultural embedding of the data Roadmap.

You will lead the data strategy office that has responsibility for department planning, communications, and stakeholder management; build a flexible and fit-for-the-future organisation as we manage our data better through optimisation and transformation. Driving transformation, with our people, through our structure and processes; which will be enabled by data management and insightful platforms and tools. You will help create and realise benefits of achieving these both short and long term.

You will be a senior leader in Data Strategy & Services, with line management and mentoring responsibilities, supporting the Head of Department, and collaborating with the management team to deliver and champion the overall FCA's data roadmap and enablement. As part of the management team, the role holder plays a significant part in designing a benefit driven, outcome focused, data enabled regulator.

• Leading the data strategy office with ambitious but realistic plans to maximise the data enabled organisation, as well as delivering against expectations of how data can support financial regulation on a daily basis

• Presenting the FCA data roadmap measurements, risks, and key dependencies, by engaging across the organisation, as well as understanding organisational transformation and using this insight to embed and measure the data roadmap

• Lead the reduction of data risks across the organisation, maximising the data mitigations and bringing a content driven strategic lens to resolve data led problems

• Lead the data advisory virtual team to support new data needs across the FCA in a virtual, flexible, and agile way. This will include reviewing and influencing forthcoming investment cases on data needs, and educating and driving stakeholders to embed data in daily and strategic ways that supports the ability to create meaningful and insightful analysis

• Leading and writing committee governance paper and actions representing data ambitions and issues. Co-ordinating Departmental wide governance of Committee actions

• Management and oversight of ongoing pipeline of data activities, optimising and transforming the use of data in all colleagues’ activities. Owning the delivery of the data transformation on a strategic and day to day basis. Ensuring the many facets of the work are scoped, resourced, and managed, with a cross divisional and business team delivering a range of benefit driven outcomes

What you will get from the role

• Be part of the team that strengthens UK financial services regulation to be more usable and cost effective

• Opportunity to work with and influence a wide range of internal and external stakeholders in the Financial Services sector

• Gain a detailed understanding of all elements of how data is managed at the FCA and will work with in an innovative division, working with partners across the organisation to help transform the FCA

• Shape the Data Roadmap to enable the FCA data driven transformation

• Have on-going access to training

Our competitive flexible benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle. You can use this allowance to purchase additional benefits such as dental or cycle to work or you have the option top up your base salary by taking this as cash.

Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:

• 28 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

• Private healthcare with Bupa

• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age – up to 12% a month once you reach age 35)

• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary

• Income protection

We support hybrid working which means you will be able to work from home up to 60% of the time over a month with the remainder of your time in one of our three office locations.

The skills and experience you will have

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 experience managing large and highly complex technical, regulatory, business and change data led projects (from small to £multi-million projects) in Financial Services, a government or regulatory body

• Proven ability to be a self-starter, flexible and innovative

• Expertise in digital and data strategies which deliver business benefits with data and AI technologies and tools

Essential

• Strong stakeholder management skills: the individual will need to be able to work with a range of stakeholders at all levels, influencing and delivering credible findings to achieve positive outcomes, with the ability to proactively share knowledge and experience

• Strong written skills to articulate complex topics in non-technical language

• Ability to think strategically, contributing to both team-level as well as departmental-wide priorities

• An analytical approach to their work, able to spot trends and arrive at logical conclusions using strong judgment to reach sound conclusion

• Ability to produce concise and persuasive written outputs and verbally convey any issues in a manner that is easy to understand to all levels of stakeholder

• Able to converse in both technical (IT/data systems) and business language

• People management experience, with the ability to motivate and inspire as well as manage performance of all levels

• Experience of management consulting with a top tier organisation

About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of nearly 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair, and competitive. We do this to make sure markets work well for individuals, businesses, and the economy as a whole. For more information on what we do, our three-year strategy can be found here.

The FCA's Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to cultivate a culture of inclusion 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.

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

Flexible working

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 cannot promise to give you exactly what you want but we will not judge you for asking.

Multi-location

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.

Useful information

• Applications for this role close at 23:59 on the 10th November 2024

• This role is graded as Manager - Regulatory

Got a question? 

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

For internal applicants, please contact Michael Wood, [email protected] 

For external applicants, please contact Asha Gladis, [email protected] 

What to expect from our interview process

The process will involve three separate stages:

• A competency-based interview

• Psychometric Assessment

• Final Interview

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role.

Recruitment Timeline:   

• Closing Date: 10th November

• First Round interviews & Assessment: W/C 18th November

• Final Interview: W/C 2nd December  

Please make the recruiter aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.  

Application support

We want to remove any 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 your application as easy and comfortable as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible. 

Security Clearance/Vetting

The successful candidate will hold or will be required to obtain Security Clearance (SC) level vetting.

Please note that all applications must be submitted through our online portal, applications sent via email will not be accepted.