Operational and Cyber Resilience Lead

Division: Supervision, Policy and Competition

Department: Technology, Resilience and Cyber

Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £60,700 to £80,766 and London £66,600 to £88,666 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

This role is graded as: Lead Associate, Regulatory

About the FCA and team

We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth, and shaping the future of UK finance services. SPC oversees firms and individuals (supervision), creates and reviews the rules by which they operate (policy) and identifies and remedies ineffective competition in markets (competition). Sitting within the Specialist Directorate, our Technology, Resilience and Cyber (TRC) department works with financial firms to improve the resilience of their systems against cyber threats and operational disruptions - helping protect consumers, safeguard markets, and build trust in the technology that powers financial services.

Role responsibilities

• Act as the Operational Resilience expert, providing trusted advice and guidance across the team, wider department and the FCA, helping shape regulatory thinking and support resilient outcomes across the sector.
• Manage strategic engagement with portfolio supervision teams, building close partnerships that shape supervisory priorities and ensure technology, resilience and cyber risks are effectively understood and managed.
• Perform assessments of large firms, delivering forward looking, evidence based insights that enable supervisors to make informed decisions and identify where further action is needed to enhance firms’ technology, resilience and cyber capabilities.
• Conduct the analysis of significant cyber and technology incidents, uncovering key insights, identifying systemic risks and helping shape regulatory responses that enhance market resilience.
• Own and deliver high profile thematic initiatives, coordinating activity across teams and working with others to deliver meaningful results on complex technology and resilience challenges.
• Represent the FCA in technical discussions with senior industry stakeholders and partner authorities, building credibility, building relationships and contributing to broader resilience objectives across the financial sector.
• Conduct market-wide analysis and peer benchmarking, assessing firms' technology and cyber maturity to identify trends, highlight leading practices and support evidence-based regulatory decision-making.
• Coach, mentor and develop colleagues, sharing knowledge and providing constructive feedback to build capability, improve performance and promote a culture of continuous learning.

Skills required

• Minimum: Prior experience analysing complex information and making judgements based on this.
• Demonstrable experience: identifying and presenting recommendations to stakeholders, in relation to technology and cyber resilience capabilities.
• Essential: Demonstrated experience in inspiring, motivating, and leading effective teams and stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Solid understanding of widely used technology, cybersecurity frameworks, standards, and best practice guidance, with the ability to apply these within a business context.
• Knowledge of, or experience within, the Wholesale, Retail, or Insurance sectors, with an appreciation of the associated business, regulatory, and risk environments.
• Highly analytical with strong problem solving capabilities, exercising sound judgement and attention to detail; focused on delivering high-quality work and maintaining the highest professional standards.
• Relevant industry qualifications e.g. CRISC, CISM, CISSP, IS027001 / 2 Lead Auditor/Implementer or alternatives.

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

Advert Close Date: 18th August 2026

CV Review/Shortlist: 20th August 2026

First Interview and Case Study Assessment: W/C 31st August 2026

SC Clearance is required for this role (SC Guidance) - you will hold or will be required to obtain Security Check (SC) level vetting.

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and their customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.