Stakeholder and Regulatory Liaison Adviser

Are you a great communicator with experience of building strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders? If so, we would love to hear from you.

Contract: 24 months fixed-term contract (for internal applications, this becomes a secondment).

Working hours: 35 hours per week is full time. Where possible, we are open to considering part time/flexible working patterns. Please let us know in your application your desired working pattern.

Salary: £41,000.

Reporting to: Head of Stakeholder and Regulatory Liaison.

Our permanent hybrid policy sees us all working at least four days across a fortnight in the office.

Working as part of the Communication & Engagement directorate, this role is part of the Stakeholder and Regulatory Liaison team – which is responsible for our external relationships and influence. This includes focusing on enhancing our reputation with key stakeholders, increasing awareness of our service by working with trusted third parties - and sharing key insight externally to improve financial services and promote the impact of the work we do.

Principally the team delivers this through:

• Leading our regulatory engagement and communications.
• Engagement with consumer and business (SME) groups.
• Engagement with Parliament, Government and other stakeholders such as trade bodies.

The Stakeholder & Regulatory Liaison team also:

• Monitors the external landscape and advises our Executive Committee and senior leadership on emerging issues.
• Provides strategic advice on key issues to the organisation - and on all stakeholder engagement for our Board and Executive team.
• Leads on partnerships with trusted third parties to increase awareness of the service.
• Working with others, develops engagement plans around major cross cutting, high impact areas of our casework, ensuring we engage proactively.
• Shares insight with regulators and others by working with our Casework Directorates – advising on the best way to do this.

The impact of our work and the scrutiny on the Financial Ombudsman means that it is very important that we have effective and impactful engagement with our key stakeholders. As such, you will use your experience and knowledge in this pivotal role by working closely with Stakeholder and Regulatory Liaison Leads to manage core day to day relationships with external stakeholders. These include trade bodies, consumer groups, parliamentarians, members of the regulatory family, government and other ombudsmen.

Key responsibilities:

• Monitoring key developments and regulatory/legislative changes in the outside world and sharing them with senior leaders, along with advice on what this might mean for us.
• Helping to deliver key messages across a larger number of stakeholders, e.g. through awareness raising campaigns, engaging with stakeholders directly - or briefing senior colleagues on key engagement with stakeholders.
• Using data and industry insight to identify themes that may shape our overall approach to working with and influencing businesses to resolve financial complaints effectively.
• Thinking logically and using an evidence-based approach to problem solving.
• Making sure you do the right thing by being comfortable making tough decisions.
• Responding to a range of stakeholder enquiries on key external issues at pace and accurately.

To be considered for this role, you’ll need to show us that you’ve got the skills and capabilities. You’ll have to meet the following minimum criteria:

• Working with external stakeholders such as professional or financial services businesses, industry and consumer groups, government, regulators, or other ombudsmen.
• Experience of working with both senior external and internal stakeholders.
• Able to use data and insight to make informed decisions and make recommendations.
• Experience of working in an external Communications, Media Relations or Public Affairs role.
• Experience in Horizon scanning.

Desirable Criteria:

• Ability to constructively challenge.
• Evidence of thinking creatively.
• Managing conflict and having difficult conversations.

Why Financial Ombudsman Service?

We are a values led organisation. Our values define our culture, influence our decisions, and underpin our vision and strategy. They set out how we play our PART through Purpose, Ambition, Respect and Trust.

We also offer an attractive, competitive salary and flexible benefits to suit our people. Here’s a list of some of the many benefits and perks you can get for working with us:

• 25 days holiday entitlement, with the option to buy extra or sell days.
• Generous pension.
• Various Family Friendly Policies, including enhanced maternity pay, carers and dependants leave.
• Employer provided benefits such as Private medical insurance, virtual GP, Critical illness cover, Life assurance cover, to name a few.
• Choice of voluntary benefits including Technology scheme, Cycle to work scheme, Will-writing service amongst others.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Extensive opportunities for personal and career development.
• Fully equipped on-site gym open 24 / 7 (London office only).
• Extensive Well-being resources including on-site therapists (London office only).
• Beautiful and bright London office looking over the Thames and near to mainline stations.
• Our employee led networks (a couple of examples being our Women's Network, Carers network, and Neurodiverse Network) do fantastic work in educating and raising awareness across a range of experiences and support us in being an inclusive employer and a great place to work.

How do I apply?

Please update a current CV, an option is available for a supporting statement should you wish to add one as part of your application. Applications need to be submitted by 23:59 on Thursday 3rd April.

We would be happy to progress any internal applications which would make this role a secondment rather than a fixed-term contract. You must have passed your probation and at least be meeting expectations with no development plans in place.

Due to high application numbers this advert may end earlier than the date specified, so please don’t delay and apply now!

A full job profile is available on request and will be provided to candidates shortlisted to the first stage of the assessment process.

We’re proud to be an inclusive employer. We view diversity as fundamental to our success and welcome applications from underrepresented groups across all communities. We’re committed to being a great place to work– attracting and developing people from the widest possible range of backgrounds. We want everyone to perform at their best and feel able to be themselves.

We understand that if we’re diverse and inclusive, we’ll better understand different perspectives, which is fundamental to our job resolving financial complaints. We welcome applications from Black and other ethnic minority candidates, and female candidates, for all positions and particularly so for senior leader positions as they are under-represented within the Financial Ombudsman Service at this level.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. This means that we will put disabled candidates entering under the scheme through to the next stage of the recruitment process should they meet the minimum criteria for a role.

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about any reasonable adjustments you need, do let us know.