Regulatory Affairs & Policy Associate

A respected and fast-growing challenger bank, recognised for its customer-first ethos, digital innovation, and agile approach, is now seeking to hire a number of compliance specialist for an upcoming project. The ideal candidate will have a proven background in consumer lending compliance and hands-on experience in managing or contributing to regulatory remediation programmes related to affordability, responsible lending, mis-selling, or similar matters. Key Responsibilities: General Lead or support compliance oversight of lending remediation programmes, ensuring regulatory standards (FCA/PRA) are met. Provide expert guidance on regulatory interpretation (e.g. CONC, MCOB, SYSC), particularly around affordability, creditworthiness, and customer redress. Review and challenge remediation plans, including redress methodologies, customer communications, and outcome testing frameworks. Oversight of Root Cause Analysis Ensure the business correctly identifies why the lending failure occurred. Validate that causes are linked to compliance control failures, such as: Inadequate customer due diligence (CDD) Inappropriate credit risk assessments Weak governance in product approval Design & Review of Remediation Plans Advise on design of customer redress methodologies. Review scripts, customer communications, redress calculators, and decision frameworks. Challenge business decisions to ensure fair treatment of affected customers. Monitoring & Testing of Implementation Independently test samples of remediated cases for compliance with policy and regulatory standards. Identify any systemic errors or inconsistencies in how remediation is being applied. Engagement with Regulators Act as the interface between the business and regulators (e.g., FCA Skilled Person reviews, Section 166 reports). Submit regular progress reports or MI to demonstrate effective oversight and compliance with remediation requirements. Strengthening Future Controls Recommend policy updates, training, and process changes to prevent recurrence. Contribute to improving systems around: Lending criteria and decisioning, Customer communications, MI/reporting dashboards Required Skills and Experience: Proven experience in compliance within a consumer lending environment, such as personal loans, credit cards, auto finance, or mortgages. Demonstrated experience in lending remediation programmes, either regulatory- or business-led. Strong understanding of relevant FCA rules and guidance (especially CONC, MCOB, and Principles for Businesses). Experience with customer redress, affordability reviews, or vulnerable customer frameworks is highly desirable. Familiarity with remediation sampling, testing, and MI reporting. Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and regulators in a compliance advisory capacity. Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills. Preferred Qualifications: Degree in Law, Finance, Business, or a related field. Compliance certification (e.g., ICA, CISI, or equivalent). Previous exposure to Section 166 or FCA enforcement-related remediation is advantageous.