Financial Services Technical Specialist

The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. At CIARA, we work at pace to drive growth and deliver for retail customers from fostering innovation to tackling harmful market behaviours, this role offers immediate and meaningful impact.

The Authorisations Division at the FCA is responsible for assessing and determining applications from firms and professionals seeking to conduct regulated activities. Our work ensures applicants meet and continue to uphold the FCA’s required standards. Authorisations collaborate closely with Supervision, Policy and Competition (SPC), as well as Enforcement and Market Oversight, to ensure a coordinated and holistic regulatory approach.

Within this division, the Consumer Investments and Appointed Representatives Department (CIARA) assesses applications from firms and professionals across the Consumer Investments portfolios and the Appointed Representatives (AR) regime. As one of two departmental Technical Specialists, you will play a key role in the CIARA leadership team, providing deep technical expertise and strategic insight. Your focus will span the Consumer Investments sectors, with particular emphasis on Wealth Management, Investment Platforms and Crowdfunding, ensuring the FCA’s regulatory gateway remains robust and effective.

What will you be doing?

• Provide expert technical guidance across CIARA’s portfolios especially in wealth management, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding and SIPPs to ensure high-quality Authorisation decisions and impactful regulatory outcomes.
• Take the lead on technical workstreams, contributing thoughtful insight to policy development, supervisory strategy and initiatives shaping the consumer investments landscape.
• Champion capability building within CIARA by mentoring colleagues, nurturing confidence and promoting a culture of learning, collaboration and technical excellence.
• Assess complex firm data and financial forecasts with sound judgement, applying prudential expertise to evaluate resilience, identify risks and shape appropriate regulatory responses.
• Work collaboratively across divisions including Supervision, Policy, Legal and Enforcement to co-create joined-up, innovative solutions to emerging regulatory challenges.
• Represent CIARA and the FCA with credibility and empathy in both internal and external forums, communicating complex technical matters with clarity to influence outcomes and advance the FCA’s objectives.

What will you get from the role?

• Shape regulatory decisions that protect consumers and promote market integrity, ensuring fair outcomes and maintaining trust in the financial system.
• Guide complex and high-profile workstreams with confidence, providing expert guidance across CIARA and the wider Authorisations Division to support FCA strategic priorities.
• Develop specialist expertise in areas such as wealth management, crowdfunding and SIPPs, while mentoring and empowering colleagues to build technical capability across the department.
• Collaborate effectively with teams across Supervision, Policy, Legal and Enforcement to deliver joined-up, proportionate and forward-looking regulatory solutions.
• Represent CIARA and the FCA in discussions with firms, trade bodies and other regulators, communicating complex issues clearly and influencing regulatory outcomes with credibility and impact.

Which skills are required?

• Experience in financial services compliance or regulation, particularly within retail investments, including supporting assessments and delivering measurable improvements in regulatory outcomes.
• Experience in wealth management, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, or SIPPs, having assessed multiple firms or projects and provided expert guidance that influenced authorisation or compliance decisions.
• Experience in interpreting complex financial data, evaluating business models and strengthening governance frameworks, contributing to the technical development and strategic direction of the department.
• Experience applying regulatory regimes such as MiFID and CASS, including interpreting new rules, guidance, or policy, particularly in situations where precedents are being set.
• Experience supporting technical workstreams and mentoring colleagues, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Comfortable taking ownership and managing ambiguity, with the confidence and creativity to develop well-considered solutions independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to explain complex issues clearly, logically and concisely to a range of audiences.
• Proven ability to work with pace and under pressure while maintaining high-quality outputs, exercising sound judgement and effectively managing multiple tasks.
• Experience building and nurturing relationships with internal and external stakeholders, engaging with credibility, influencing outcomes and constructively challenging when needed.

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.

Benefits of working at the FCA

• 28 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% of basic salary each month.
• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary.
• Income protection.
• 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.

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.

Useful Information and Timeline

This role is graded as Technical Specialist - Regulatory. Closing Date: Sunday 9th November (midnight). First Stage Case Study / Interview: Mid November onwards.