Open Finance Specialist

Leeds, England, United Kingdom

7/21/2025

Division – Digital, Technology and Innovation (DTI)

Department – Innovation

Salary – National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £71,200 and London £57,700 to £78,300 pro rata (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.

You’ll Join The Smart Data Accelerator In The Innovation Department In The DTI Division, Helping Shape Forward-thinking Initiatives That Foster Inclusive Growth. Together, We Aim To

• Support FCA colleagues with insights on emerging technologies
• Build trusted relationships with UK and global stakeholders
• Empower firms through guidance and collaborative engagement
  
  

We work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders—from firms and trade bodies to innovation networks and international organisations—while nurturing strong connections across the FCA.

What will you be doing?

• Implement agile testing and experimentation through inclusive design sprints, stakeholder co-creation and hands-on policy development
• Analyse emerging technologies and share insights by leading research, facilitating roundtables and crafting practical, forward-looking recommendations
• Build strategic collaboration frameworks that amplify the smart data team’s presence and foster meaningful partnerships
• Coordinate smoothly across teams by guiding communications, streamlining signoffs and managing the smart data ecosystem with care
• Contribute flexibly to departmental projects through insightful analysis, research and responsive programme support
• Elevate knowledge sharing by connecting initiatives, organising workshops and aligning efforts with the open finance vision
  
  

What will you get from the role?

• Contribute to pioneering UK innovation by shaping the future of financial data through forward-thinking projects
• Deepen your understanding of emerging technologies and business models transforming financial services
• Apply a progressive regulatory lens to real-world challenges, driving modern oversight in a dynamic environment
• Collaborate across diverse teams—Policy, Competition, Economics—to deliver inclusive, transformative outcomes
• Build connections with trailblazing firms, global experts and key academic and policy stakeholders
• Lead innovation delivery by influencing strategic direction and embedding meaningful change across the financial ecosystem
  
  

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

• Strong working knowledge or hands-on experience with innovation in financial services
• Prior experience in analysing complex qualitative and quantitative data to support insightful, evidence-based decision-making across regulatory, policy, or strategic contexts
• Prior experience in coordinating multifaceted programmes or projects, particularly within innovation, regulation, or digital transformation, with a flexible and organised approach to competing priorities
  
  

Essential

• Prior experience in building trusted stakeholder relationships and thriving in dynamic environments through collaborative communication and responsive planning
• Demonstrated curiosity and interest in financial technology, open finance, APIs and emerging tools including AI and digital identity
• Experience shaping and delivering innovation use cases through experimentation, prototyping and collaborative sprints
• Understanding of data privacy, interoperability and digital regulation mechanisms such as innovation pathways and regulatory sandboxes
  
  

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.

Benefits Of Working At The FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays (Pro rata)
• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
• 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 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: Sunday 3rd August 2025 (midnight)
• CV Review/ Shortlist: 4-5th August 2025
• Interview: w/c 11th August 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.

Got a question?

If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Steve Christopher on [email protected]

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