Senior Policy Associate

The FRC published a new UK Corporate Governance Code in 2024 and listed companies will produce the first annual reports following the new Code in 2026. In 2025 the FRC published a new Stewardship Code, with Stewardship Code signatories reporting against this Code from 2026 onwards. This role is part of a dynamic team developing the FRC’s approach to corporate governance and stewardship, through monitoring, assessment and obtaining evidence to support policy development. The postholder will be expected to work flexibly on both corporate governance and stewardship matters.

Accountabilities

• Undertake the comprehensive analysis of the quality of corporate governance and stewardship reporting by UK listed companies and Stewardship Code signatories, respectively.
• Lead on drafting sections of the annual UK corporate governance reporting review and the annual review of stewardship reporting, producing high quality content on areas of expertise.
• Contribute to the robust, fair and proportionate assessment of applicants for UK Stewardship Code signatories.
• Assume responsibility for aspects of the end-to-end assessment process for UK Stewardship Code applications.
• Promote and support the Wates Governance Principles for Large Private Companies, providing analysis and developing policy as appropriate.
• Review, analyse and summarise relevant research, policy papers and consultations, and preparing briefings for senior colleagues.
• Support and oversee junior colleagues in day-to-day work.
• Accompany senior colleagues to external meetings, providing high quality briefing and liaising directly with external stakeholders when appropriate.
• Work on cross-organisational initiatives that promote good governance and stewardship or support organisational transformation.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• A thorough understanding of the UK corporate governance and stewardship frameworks, including the interaction between government, regulators, practitioners and other stakeholders.
• Relevant experience in governance or stewardship.
• Good proficiency using Microsoft applications and new technologies to support deliverables.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective internal and external stakeholder relationships and effectively engage with other organisations who have interests in these areas.
• Excellent standard of written and verbal communication, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical information to a range of audiences.
• Ability to communicate findings of analysis accurately and succinctly both in writing and orally.
• Proficiency in identifying trends and key issues to highlight emerging policy areas, and the synthesis of this information to deliver credible and coherent recommendations.
• Ability to manage a varied workload with competing priorities, and to meet tight deadlines.
• Work collaboratively across a mixed site team.
• Provide leadership to more junior team members and role model effective working behaviours.
• Be adaptable and perform comfortably in a complex and changing policy environment.

The Senior Policy Associate role is important in supporting the UK Corporate Governance Code and the UK Stewardship Code, bringing integrity and transparency to business and confidence to investment markets.

Please apply by uploading a copy of your CV and covering letter as a single document upload. In the covering letter, please set out, by reference to the person specification above how you meet the required skillset.

Rewards and benefits

• The FRC offers remuneration packages, including 30 days annual leave, ability to buy extra leave.
• Generous employer pension contribution of 10%.
• Staff Employee Assistance Programme including confidential counselling and work life services.
• The FRC offers staff the opportunity to save at least 25% on the purchase of a new bike through the Cycle to work scheme.
• The FRC has a strong work/life balance ethos.
• The FRC believes that equality of opportunity and diversity is important in the work that we do and we are strongly committed to being an inclusive employer.
• Our values of being fair and independent supports this commitment.
• Equal opportunities monitoring is an important means of demonstrating and implementing our commitment to promoting equality of opportunity and diversity.
• Completing our diversity form will assist the FRC to identify any barriers that prevent access to employment and career development for certain groups of people, and to develop solutions, such as action plans, new policies and practices.
• The FRC is a Disability Confident Employer and we welcome applications under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme from disabled people as defined by the Equality Act 2010 that meet the minimum requirements for the role.

The role is based in our central Birmingham office. The post holder should be able to work flexibly to support the team’s activities and also provide cover within the FRC as necessary. The FRC operates a hybrid working arrangement with its workforce, with an expectation that 40% of a person's working time will be located at one of our offices per week, with precise arrangements to be agreed between the employee and the line manager.