Director, Wholesale and Unauthorised Business Investigations

Director, Wholesale and Unauthorised Business Investigations, Enforcement and Market Oversight 

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.  

Background 

We are looking to appoint a Director of Wholesale and Unauthorised Business Investigations (WUBI). WUBI is a core function within our Enforcement and Market Oversight Division, focused on market misconduct, policing the perimeter, and providing investigation services. WUBI actions help to fight financial crime, to protect the interests of consumers, and ensure that markets work well and operate with integrity. 

WUBI conducts forensic investigations into regulatory breaches and criminal offences by firms and individuals operating in the wholesale arena, as well as those carrying on regulated activities without authorisation, in breach of the general prohibition. Typical WUBI cases include insider dealing, market manipulation, systems and controls failings, fraud/scams and organised crime activity linked to the financial services sector. The portfolio includes both regulatory and criminal operations. The FCA’s Proceeds of Crime team also sits within WUBI.   

WUBI collaborates closely with the wider FCA and other regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies, both within the UK and abroad, to ensure an effective and co-ordinated approach to tackling issues affecting UK markets and consumers. 

The Role 

Reporting to Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, the Director of Wholesale and Unauthorised Business Investigations will be responsible for the development and delivery of the enforcement strategy for all wholesale and unauthorised business cases, and accountable overall for case outcomes and external engagement on those outcomes.  The role holder will also play a key role in driving forward the FCA’s wider activity to disrupt financial crime. 

As such, this is a critical appointment for a creative thought leader with strong relationship building skills who can lead from the front. 

You will be a member of EMO’s Director Team, and specifically responsible for leading a team of over 200 staff through the Heads of Department who sit on the WUBI leadership team. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Managing complex portfolios of wholesale and unauthorised business investigations and resulting criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement action 

• Being the Settlement Decision Maker on Enforcement Operations  

• Role model for the whole of FCA/EMO with a commitment to continuous improvement through delivery of the impactful deterrence agenda  

• Developing and delivering a long-term strategy for the directorate, aligned to broader divisional and organisational strategies 

• Leading on performance, capability and culture within the directorate, with a strong focus on operational excellence 

• Delivering through others by relying on coaching, influencing and negotiating skills with a range of internal and external stakeholders 

• Building a strong and inclusive directorate that attracts and develops diverse talent 

• Working effectively across organisational boundaries to achieve outcomes, particularly in relation to financial crime

• Operational responsibility for the running of the team (and the wider Division as part of the EMO Director Team) in terms of budgeting, forecasting, resourcing, and external costs  

What will the candidate get from the role? 

• 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 

Skills/Experience Required  

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. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme  Click Here) 

Minimum 

Significant experience of: 

• Managing and influencing key stakeholders, including senior decision makers internally and externally (both domestically and internationally) 

• Conducting and overseeing a wide range of complex investigations, not necessarily gained in the financial services sector  

• Working across organisational boundaries, with proven delivery of cross-organisational projects   

• Effectively leading a large business area made up of multi-disciplinary teams   

Essential 

• The ability to deal with competing priorities and workstreams and to balance immediate, high priority, sometimes politically sensitive issues with longer term strategic thinking 

• A high level of personal resilience – you should be able to manage challenging situations and work across organisational boundaries

• Strong judgement and ability to take well-informed, bold, forward-thinking decisions 

• An excellent leader of people who improves capability, leads through change, builds a diverse and inclusive team and exhibits an engaging and adaptable style that connects with people at all levels 

• Ability to quickly develop a technical understanding of the FCA’s powers and risk-based approach in relation to investigation and enforcement activity 

• Understanding of the role of intelligence in fighting serious crime 

• Good technical understanding of the overall regulatory and legal framework in the UK and the FCA’s place within it 

• Understanding of the international dimension within which the FCA operates 

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

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.  

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

Benefits   

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

Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:  

• 30 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  

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 22nd February 2026 

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

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

• This role can be London, Edinburgh or Leeds based.  If the successful applicant is based in Edinburgh or Leeds, frequent travel to the London office will be required.  

• We currently operate a hybrid working model, working a minimum of 40% in the office each month (50% for senior leaders). This way of working applies in our Stratford, Leeds and Edinburgh offices.  From September 2026, FCA employees will be required to spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office. Our Executive Directors and Directors will be expected to be in a minimum of 60% per month.  

• The salary range for the role is London £200,000-£260,000 and National £180,000-£234,000  

To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter via the FCA careers page (workday). Please note we are unable to accept applications by email. 

For further information about the role, please contact Roy Bingcang, Executive Recruiter on R[email protected]