Senior Pensions Policy Advisers

Leeds, England, United Kingdom

1/7/2025

Division – Wholesale Buy-Side

Department – Pensions Policy

Salary - National ranging from £51,200 to £64,000 and London £56,400 to £70,000 per annum – 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.

The Pensions Policy team sits within the Asset Management, Funds and Pensions Market Analysis and Policy Department, in the Supervision, Policy and Competition Division at the FCA.

The pensions and retirement income sector has a significant and wide-ranging impact on everyone’s lives. FCA regulated pensions contain hundreds of billions of pounds of assets which people will rely on to fund their retirement. Pensions are therefore a key priority for the FCA, working in partnership with government and The Pensions Regulator on high profile and far-reaching interventions in the interests of consumers.

This is a critical and exciting time for the pensions sector and wider system. The FCA’s Pensions Policy team is at the forefront of developing policy solutions to ensure that our regulatory framework is fit for the future, as well as supporting Government’s significant reform agenda.

You will join a dedicated team of policy professionals, who work collaboratively and are focused on developing creative and evidence-based policy solutions that benefit consumers, markets and competition. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and encouraging new ideas.

What will you be doing?

We are looking for two experienced policymakers to join our team. You will play an integral role in developing policy and providing expert advice on our rules.

You Will

• Develop and deliver robust and practical policy solutions by using data and evidence
• Proactively manage and lead complex policy projects by making good judgements, prioritising effectively and managing competing tasks and deadlines
• Identify and manage a range of internal and external stakeholders, building rapport and constructive relationships and taking a collaborative and flexible approach
• Distil complex issues into succinct messages and present clearly and concisely to a variety of stakeholders, orally and in writing
• Work as part of a team and support and assist others. This includes supporting team members to achieve shared goals and adjusting your approach for different situations
  
  

What will you get from the role?

This role is an exciting opportunity to drive developing policy in these important sectors. You’ll be at the heart of regulatory decision-making and work on significant and high-profile issues, in an environment where creative thinking and problem solving are essential. You’ll work closely with internal and external stakeholders to develop policies that will have a real impact on consumer outcomes and UK markets.

As a team, we have several key projects to deliver. These include the pensions aspects of the Advice Guidance Boundary Review, evolving our regulatory framework for the future and our Strategic Focus for the retirement income market. You will make a significant contribution to our delivery, by leading complex policy projects and working collaboratively with talented and committed colleagues to ensure relevant issues are identified, and optimal solutions are delivered at pace.

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

• Proven policy making experience
• Experience coordinating and delivering cross-cutting projects
  
  

Essential

• Outstanding organisational skills, including the ability to proactively manage complex policy projects by planning, prioritising and managing competing tasks and deadlines
• Making good judgements and being open minded in approach
• Strong stakeholder management skills, building rapport and constructive relationships, taking a collaborative and flexible approach
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to distil complex issues into succinct messages and present clearly and concisely to a variety of stakeholders
• Working effectively as part of a team and supporting and assisting others. This includes supporting team members to achieve shared goals and adjusting your approach for different situations
• Flexibility and the ability to deliver effective outcomes in an environment of dynamic change and complexity, by prioritising work and resource to successfully deliver at pace
• Strong commitment to collaborative working, including willingness to respond positively to challenge from others
  
  

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.

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

Benefits Of Working At The FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
• Private healthcare with Bupa
• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8%
• Life assurance
• 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: 21st January
• First round case study & interview: W/C 3rd February
  
  

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 Lucy Matthews at Lucy.matthews@fca.org.uk

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