Head of Department - Listings

About the FCA

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers. We’re currently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit. Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, market data and information management maturity are all being pursued to maintain our position as a world leader in financial services regulation.

The Role

The Listings Department, within the Market Oversight Directorate, operates the FCA’s gateway to the Official List. It reviews and approves prospectuses and shareholder circulars, assesses eligibility for admission to the Official List, and provides guidance on the UK Listing Rules and prospectus regime across debt, equity and structured products. Operating to demanding timelines, the department supports trusted, orderly and efficient UK primary markets. Listings is central to strengthening the attractiveness, effectiveness and integrity of the UK’s public markets. Following major reforms to the listing regime, the department is embedding the new framework while transforming its operating model through digital enablement, data and AI-enabled ways of working to improve regulatory decision-making, efficiency and the experience of issuers and advisers.

What will the candidate get from the role?

You will be part of the FCA's Senior Leadership Team at an exciting time of change for financial services and its regulation. You will lead a department of talented and committed people, working collaboratively to deliver an effective contribution to the FCA’s objectives of market integrity and supporting sustainable economic growth. You will gain exposure to a broad range of strategic issues that are central to the future of UK capital markets, and you will help shape the organisation’s strategy.

The role includes:

• Leading a skilled and capable department through significant market, legal, operational and technological change whilst continuing to deliver timely high-quality business-as-usual outcomes.
• Exposure to strategic issues and key stakeholders in UK and international capital markets, including issuers, advisers, exchanges, domestic agencies and overseas regulators.
• Experience of being a project sponsor on a major transformational project.

Key responsibilities

• Setting and delivering the long-term strategy for Listings, aligned with FCA priorities and the continued strengthening of the UK listing and prospectus regimes.
• Directing the effective and efficient operation of a complex, market-facing department, ensuring robust decision-making, timely delivery and consistent application of the FCA’s risk-based approach across Listings and Market Oversight.
• Contributing as a senior leadership team member to the strategic direction and leadership of Market Oversight and the wider FCA.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders, including FCA teams, issuers, advisers, exchanges, public authorities, international regulators and market participants.
• Leading the department’s work on complex and high-profile transactions, eligibility reviews, approvals, guidance requests and statutory decisions, ensuring outcomes are timely, proportionate, well-evidenced and legally robust.
• Leading an inclusive, high-performing department by developing capability, managing performance and change, maintaining colleague engagement, and attracting and retaining diverse talent.
• Sponsoring operational and technological improvements that strengthen quality assurance, resilience, continuous improvement and readiness for the future operating model.
• Building an effective and inclusive department that attracts, develops and retains diverse talent, while ensuring the department has the skills and agility needed for the future operating model.

Skills/Experience Required

• Minimum Demonstrable knowledge of the aspects of the Listing Rules, prospectus regime, disclosure framework and other relevant rule books as they impact primary markets transactions and listed issuers.
• Significant stakeholder management skills, with the ability to negotiate, influence and collaborate with senior internal and external stakeholders, engage credibly with industry experts, and articulate complex issues clearly.
• In-depth experience of UK capital markets, corporate finance, securities regulation or a closely related field.
• Effective leadership skills: ability to lead, motivate and inspire teams, build capability, address performance issues where necessary, and create a high performing and inclusive department.
• Robustness in the face of challenge, with the ability to make decisions and judgements in a rapid, balanced and well-evidenced way, including where issues are novel, sensitive or high-profile.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results aligned with business priorities.
• Able to demonstrate solid understanding of the UK and external political context and environment within which the FCA is operating.
• Significant breadth of wholesale industry knowledge across relevant sectors and products, with the ability to recognise and address complex interconnected issues.
• Inclusive and values-led leadership, with an open and responsive management style, the ability to lead skilled colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds.
• The communication skills to engage audiences with different expertise and perspectives, while embedding the FCA Strategy and advancing organisational priorities.
• Good understanding of other areas in the FCA and their roles, including Policy, Legal, Supervision, Enforcement, Authorisations and Data & Intelligence.

The FCA’s Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator. We serve the public and our decisions directly affect the wellbeing of people, businesses and the UK economy. So, our values matter. They represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding our judgements, building trust and helping us to be ‘At our best’. The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of our organisation.

Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups. As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements, including job shares.

Application Support

We want to remove any possible barriers and are committed to providing a wide range of reasonable adjustments so that you can keep the focus on your conversations and be at your best.

Benefits

• 30 days holiday per year plus bank holidays.
• Private healthcare with Bupa.
• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age- up to 12% a month once you reach age 35).
• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary.
• Income protection.

Conflicts of interest

All applicants to the FCA are required to demonstrate that they do not have other interests likely to conflict with their responsibilities as an employee of the FCA. You should declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process, and also disclose information or personal connections that, if appointed, might be open to misperception. Any potential conflicts of interest will not prevent candidates going forward to interview but may, if appropriate, be explored during the interview to establish how the candidate would address the issue(s) should they be successful in their application.

Useful information

The closing date for this role is 23:55 on 6 December 2026. Selection will be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment. If successful, you will be required to obtain and retain SC Clearance. Colleagues spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office each month (60% for Directors and Executive Directors) across our London, Leeds and Edinburgh offices. Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £121,500 to £153,000 and London £135,000 to £170,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience).