Payments Data & Policy Lead in London

This role is graded as: Senior Associate - Regulatory.

About the PSR and team:

Every time anyone uses a cash machine, transfers money, uses contactless, or gets paid, they use a payment system. Payment systems are always evolving and the PSR is here to make sure they work well for everyone. The PSR is an independent economic regulator led by interim Managing Director, David Geale – who is also FCA Executive Director, Payments and Digital Finance. Operationally the PSR is currently an independent subsidiary of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however in March 2025 the Prime Minister announced that the PSR would be consolidated into the FCA. This transition will likely take some time and will follow a Government consultation, although the Government has already been clear that payment systems must continue to be effectively regulated. For the time being, therefore, the PSR continues to focus on delivering its important and impactful programme of work, collaborating closely with the FCA.

The supervision team you are applying to join will ultimately move into the FCA when the new legislation takes effect. Candidates should be aware, therefore, that there may be changes to their responsibilities as consolidation into the FCA progresses. This position involves supporting the PSR’s work on APP scams, with a focus on prevention and consumer protection. In October 2024, we introduced a world-first mandatory reimbursement requirement, alongside publishing performance data on how firms reimburse victims and respond to APP scams. We have also published transparency data highlighting the platforms and services most commonly exploited by fraudsters to contact victims and provided regular updates on implementation. These publications provide market insights, inform consumers and encourage firms to strengthen fraud prevention. They have generated significant interest from firms, government and regulators and have directly supported the FCA’s supervisory activity.

As we consider the future direction of our performance and data transparency strategy, this is a great opportunity for a self-starter to lead and shape this high-priority work, helping to deliver valuable insights for consumers, firms and regulators.

Role responsibilities:

• Work closely with internal stakeholders (including policy, legal, data and communications teams) to review consultation responses, resolve issues and ensure alignment on the future data reporting approach, methodology as well as delivery plans.
• Project manage the end-to-end delivery process, from data collection through to publication, including managing a dedicated inbox, implementing a data quality framework, overseeing governance processes and proactively identifying and escalating risks.
• Collaborate with data analysts to analyse submitted data, interpret findings, identify trends and investigate emerging or potential issues.
• Engage professionally with PSPs and other external stakeholders (including industry, government and regulatory partners) to clarify data requirements, resolve discrepancies and errors and support effective data submission.
• Communicate complex data clearly and confidently in plain English, including preparing written responses, drafting reports and presenting findings in senior-level, working-level and external stakeholder meetings.
• Take ownership of drafting the final report, ensuring clear, concise and well-evidenced findings supported by robust data.
• Support wider Payment Systems Regulator supervision and policy priorities as required, contributing to related analytical, reporting and regulatory work across the team.

Skills required:

• Minimum: Data analysis experience, including identifying trends and issues in complex datasets, with experience working with large-scale and complex data environments.
• Experience of working in a supervisory, policy or regulatory environment.
• Experience of project delivery – including ability to plan and work to deadlines, understand risks, opportunities and dependencies.
• Essential: Effective written, oral communication and presentation skills, including the ability to distil complex issues into succinct messages and present confidently to a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• Highly developed relationship building and influencing skills and an ability to work with other team members and experts, internally and externally.
• Effective prioritisation skills with the ability to manage competing demands and focus effort where it delivers greatest impact.
• An ability to exercise judgement in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, including economists, lawyers, payment specialists and other policy advisors.
• An ability to take into account potentially conflicting views without losing sight of overall strategic aims and objectives.

Benefits:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• 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.
• 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).
• A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle.

Our values and culture:

Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference, and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. 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.

If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support. We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.

Disability confident: our hiring approach:

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.

Useful information and timelines:

Job advert closes: Midnight, 22nd June 2026.

CV Review/Shortlist: 24th June 2026.

Interview: w/c 29th June 2026.

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.

Want to learn more before applying? Join our upcoming webinar on Tuesday, 16 June 2026 from 13:00 to 14:00, to hear directly from our hiring team about this role, our company culture and what we’re looking for in the ideal candidate.

Webinar Details: Tuesday, 16 June 2026 from 13:00 to 14:00, Microsoft Teams meeting.