Senior Payments and Stablecoin Policy Advisor in Edinburgh

Division: Supervision, Policy & Competition

Department: Payments and Digital Assets

Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £53,800 to £67,200 and London from £59,200 to £73,800 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

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.

About the Payments Policy Team:

This is an exciting time to join the payments policy team. We lead on the policy to make payments work. The work touches the lives of everyone in the UK, making sure payments are fast, efficient, reliable, and safe. The payments landscape is undergoing rapid change, with innovative payment methods, including stablecoins used for payments, digitalisation, the emergence of new ways of paying, and the use of AI providing consumers new payment options. The payments policy team is crucial to guiding work towards the most effective forms of intervention.

About the Stablecoins Policy Team:

The Stablecoins Policy team sits alongside Crypto and Payment Policy teams in the Payments and Digital Assets Department and plays a critical role in leading the FCA's policy work on stablecoins. The interest and potential use of stablecoins continues to grow at great pace, creating both opportunities for consumers and regulated participants, but also new risks that we must stay ahead of. It is the Stablecoin Policy team’s role to devise and drive this work forward, liaising with multiple internal stakeholders, HMT, Bank of England, industry, and international regulators to propose a future regulatory framework.

Role Responsibilities:

• Own key payments and stablecoin policy issues by taking the lead in shaping proposals, reviewing information and collaborating with teams across the FCA.
• Drive impactful change by drafting public consultations on FCA rules and guidance, ensuring our priorities influence industry and regulatory developments.
• Engage with stakeholders by building strong relationships with government, other regulators and industry participants to help shape the future of payments and stablecoins used for payments policy.
• Provide expert insight by delivering advice and briefings on payments policy issues to colleagues and senior management, shaping strategic outcomes.
• Grow your expertise by developing deep knowledge of payment services and regulations that affect every aspect of consumer and business financial lives.
• Be part of transformation by playing a key role in a major regulatory change project, supporting the team and contributing to innovative solutions in an evolving policy landscape.

Skills Required:

• Minimum: Demonstrable experience of analysing information and contributing to the development of policy.
• Proven experience presenting key issues clearly and succinctly both orally and in writing.
• Demonstratable experience of building and managing relationships with stakeholders.

• Essential: Proven experience of developing policy with demonstrable impact.
• Evidence of problem solving and organisational skills with the ability to manage a variety of overlapping priorities and issues.
• Willingness to learn and develop, taking on new responsibilities and adopting a flexible and pragmatic approach to your work.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid model where employees work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (expectation of 50% for senior leaders). Changing from September to a minimum of 50% in the office each month (expectation of 60% for Directors and Executive Directors).
• 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.