Payments, Market Analysis and Strategy (Associate)

Payments, Market Analysis and Strategy (Associate)
Division: Supervision, Policy & Competition
Department: Cross-cutting Market Analysis and Strategy

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £40,600 to £47,000 and London £44,900 to £50,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

• This role is graded as: Associate, Regulatory

• Your recruitment contact is Shafika via [email protected]. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.

About the FCA and team 

We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth, and shaping the future of UK finance services.  

In SPC, we oversee firms and individuals (supervision), create and review the rules by which they operate (policy) and identify and remedy ineffective competition in markets (competition). Sitting in the Payments and Digital Assets directorate, the Cross-Cutting Market Analysis and Strategy department develops sector wide strategies and provides the analysis and data needed to identify risks, opportunities and trends to support supervision and policy making.

Role responsibilities:

• Support with the delivery of the strategic workstreams that shape the FCA’s approach to payments and digital assets - driving innovation and regulatory clarity in a rapidly evolving sector

• Build strong, collaborative relationships across the FCA, working flexibly with teams to identify and solve complex challenges

• Undertake horizon scanning and market and sector analysis to identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities that enables proactive, informed outcomes to help consumers and supports market integrity

• Develop and produce clear and insightful reports and presentations setting out key risks and opportunities for stakeholders

• Deliver engaging training, advice, briefings to FCA colleagues, supporting and empowering them with the knowledge to navigate crypto related issues effectively

Skills required:  

Minimum:

• Prior experience of managing regulatory matters including experience of payments or compliance

• Proven experience of building and managing relationships with stakeholders

• Prior experience working in financial services, legal or for a regulator or public body

Essential:

• Knowledge of the impact of regulation on consumers, including unintended outcomes

• Ability to evaluate detailed information and reach difficult conclusions, including managing ambiguity

• Ability to work at pace and under pressure, use sound judgement and escalate issues appropriately

• Ability to balance and manage clashing priorities, working solo and in a team, and manage several work streams simultaneously

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

• Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work

• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary

• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection, and 24/7 Employee Assistance

• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually

• A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle

For a full list of our benefits, and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.

Our Values & Culture

Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference, and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. 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.

If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support.

We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.
 

Disability Confident: Our Hiring Approach
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.
 

Useful Information and Timeline 

Timeline: 

• Advert Closing Date: 7th December 2025

• CV Review/Shortlist: 9th December 2025

• Case Study Assessment: w/c 7th November 2025

• First Interview: w/c 15th December 2025

• 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.