Head of Controls, Capabilities and Frameworks Directorate in City of London

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. 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

We’re looking for a talented and influential permanent Head of Department to play a key leadership role as we transform into a more innovative, adaptive and assertive regulator. This Directorate (CCF) is at the heart of the Supervision, Policy and Competition Division (SPC). CCF drives excellence within the operational frameworks of SPC, the FCA’s largest front-line operational division. We also act as the single point of contact for central FCA functions. By doing this, we enable our 3 Executive Directors, 13 Directors and more than 1300 colleagues work consistently and efficiently to deliver the FCA’s strategic outcomes and regulatory obligations. This role reports to the Director of Controls, Capabilities & Framework and is a key role within our broader senior leadership team.

What will the candidate get from the role?

• Joining the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting and challenging time of great change in financial services and its regulation.
• Leading a department 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.
• Gain insights into how a world class regulator uses innovation and great change management to drive operational excellence and efficiency in partnership with others.
• Deepen your knowledge about how the FCA’s front line business divisions interface with key central operational and technology functions to deliver – in partnership – business requirements.
• The chance to develop and broaden your networks across the FCA and advise the Executive Committee and the FCA Board on the evolution of business-led ownership.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction for our ongoing improvement of processes and controls within Supervision, Policy and Competition (SPC) in the FCA. Work alongside the CCF Director, SPC Directorates and FCA operations colleagues to deliver operational excellence and embed strategic business outcomes across SPC.
• Build and sustain the capabilities, knowledge and culture within SPC to enable it to achieve its strategic outcomes.
• Deliver excellence in the adoption and embedding of our operating frameworks and drive a culture of continuous improvement.
• 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.

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.

Minimum

• Strong experience of Financial Services markets and their regulation.
• Strong experience of running operational functions.
• Strong experience of leading teams through ambiguity and in achieving ‘continuous improvement’.
• Proven experience delivering complex, cross organisational programmes or workstreams.
• Strong track record of building and maintaining credible relationships with Executive Directors, Directors and other senior leaders.
• Ability to operate with agility, pace and resilience in an environment with competing deliverables and high scrutiny.

Essential

• Experience leading with vision, structure and direction, in times of ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Able to identify, scope and improve ways of working with a continuous improvement and problem-solving approach.
• Ability to analyse, investigate and evaluate information and data, to make evidenced judgments.
• Strong stakeholder management skills to develop networks across FCA and ‘join dots’ to build sense of common purpose, maintaining consensus behind an agreed plan.
• Strong personal resilience, gained through experience in working under pressure from competing (and potentially conflicting) demands.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate organisational strategy into clear, deliverable actions for SPC.

Desirable

• Able to clearly show how experience in working in front-line regulatory environments, together with strong operational background, combine to make you well equipped to both challenge and support colleagues in front-line roles.

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 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 Sunday 15th 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. 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 Director and Directors will be expected to be in a minimum of 60% per month. The salary range for the role is London £130,000 to £165,000, National £118,000 to £148,000. 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.