Senior Associate, Payments and Digital Assets in Edinburgh

This role is graded as: Senior Associate, Regulatory.

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. SPC oversees firms and individuals (supervision), creates and reviews the rules by which they operate (policy) and identifies and remedies ineffective competition in markets (competition). Sitting in the Payments and Digital Assets directorate, the Policy department develops policy to address the challenges and opportunities the FCA identifies in crypto, open banking, open finance sectors.

Role responsibilities:

• Manage and deliver high profile crypto policy projects by leveraging your analytical and project management skills, shaping the regulatory landscape for emerging technologies.
• Assess business models and activities to propose regulatory treatments, ensuring fair, transparent, and future proof compliance frameworks.
• Craft and present policy proposals to senior FCA stakeholders, driving decisions that protect consumers and support market integrity.
• Represent the FCA externally with government bodies and regulators — building trust and shaping policy at the highest levels.
• Contribute to international policy discussions with global stakeholders, helping set standards that position the UK as a leader in crypto regulation.
• Provide training, advice, and briefings to colleagues on policy issues empowering teams with knowledge to deliver consistent and informed outcomes.

Skills required:

• Minimum: Relevant qualification or experience in research, economics, law or policy.
• Prior experience of taking a project-based approach to complex problems.
• Demonstratable experience in applying reasoning skills and judgement, whether gained in industry, research, economics, law, insight, or policy work.
• Essential: Knowledge of the UK regulatory framework.
• Some knowledge of the cryptoassets sector and adaptive learner/keen learner.
• Understanding of what makes markets work well for consumers and the impact of regulation on consumers, including unintended outcomes.
• Experience of assessing risks arising in complex business models.
• Experience in analysing complex information, reaching well-informed judgements, and identifying and presenting relevant issues and recommendations in a timely manner.
• Ability to work promptly amidst demanding circumstances, use sound judgement and escalate issues appropriately.

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.

Our values and 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:

• Job advert close: 28th January 2026.
• CV Review/Shortlist: 30th January 2026.
• First Interview: w/c 9th February 2026.
• There are 3 permanent positions available for this role.

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.