Director of Insurance

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.
  
  

The Role  

The Director of Insurance is an important senior leadership role within the Supervision, Policy and Competition (SPC) Division in the FCA. The Director is responsible for the policy and supervision of around 6000 insurance firms ranging from small high-street intermediaries to brokers, Lloyds of London and large multi-national insurers.

The Director reports into the Executive Director for Consumers and Competition in SPC and leads a Directorate of around 140 colleagues across all of the FCA’s 3 locations (London, Leeds and Edinburgh) The Director is also responsible for the organisation’s strategy and approach to overseeing the Appointed Representatives (AR) Regime and the 33,000 ARs that operate within the UK.

What will the candidate get from the role? 

• Join the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting and challenging time of great change in financial services and its regulation.
• Lead a directorate of talented and committed people through significant projects whilst also delivering on business-as-usual objectives.
• Be responsible for implementing the FCA’s new strategy across insurance and ARs, including regulatory reform, policy making and supervision.
• Gain 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 insurance and AR area.
• Leading a team of c140 across multiple FCA locations (London, Leeds, Edinburgh)
• Building a strong, diverse and inclusive directorate through attracting talent and developing existing talent.
• Taking a data led 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  

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

• Proven experience and deep understanding of the regulatory environment and/or the insurance industry.
• 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.
• 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.
  
  

 

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.
• 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.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication capabilities.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving ability.
• 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.
• 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.
  
  

 

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.

Benefits

Our competitive benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifecycle. You can this 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 21 September 2025
• Selection will be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment  
• This role can be London, Edinburgh or Leeds based. 
• The salary range for the role for London £190,000 to £250,000, and National £171,000 to £225,000.
• If successful, you will be required to obtain and retain SC Clearance.  
• 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. 
  
  

The FCA has retained Odgers to advise on this appointment.

To apply please submit your CV and cover letter using this link - www.odgers.com/94419

For a Conversation In Confidence, Please Contact

Anne Murphy [email protected] or Hannah Wade [email protected]

If you are unable to apply online please email: [email protected]