European Policy Associate - International

at  Financial Conduct Authority

European Policy Associate - International
Location
London / Leeds / Edinburgh
Salary
National from £41,800 to £53,000 and London from £46,000 to £58,000
Do you want to be part of a collaborative team that helps deliver on the FCA’s strategic engagement with European authorities and jurisdictions?
The Team
The FCA is a global regulator, supporting open markets through shaping the international regulatory agenda. The International Division leads our strategy for international engagement, working collaboratively across the FCA to ensure the organisation delivers on its international priorities.
In a post-Brexit context, our work also includes driving the FCA’s relationship with the EU, working in collaboration with colleagues across the FCA and UK authorities more broadly, to tackle strategic issues, and driving our engagement with EU authorities and counterparts.
The Europe Strategy and Engagement Team helps set, advise and deliver on the FCA’s strategic engagement with European authorities and jurisdictions. It enhances the FCA’s capacity to meet its statutory and strategic objectives through high-quality international engagement, using a range of influencing tools and techniques.
What you will be doing

The Europe Strategy and Engagement Team leads on the FCA’s engagement with the EU institutions and jurisdictions in Europe, including the European Economic Area (EEA). The successful candidate will support the work of the FCA in several ways, including:

• Providing analysis and strategic advice on EU financial services policy developments, with a particular focus on sustainable finance, and working with the relevant policy teams. Producing good quality reporting and high-quality communications products for internal stakeholders
• Supporting the Lead Associate in the analysis of political developments in EU institutions and across Europe. Analysing and communicating how these changes will impact the UK’s regulatory environment
• Supporting the team with the FCA’s engagement with EU institutions, European and national supervisory authorities (e.g. European Supervisory Authorities) and national authorities.
• Working with the team to implement engagement plans, including planning and executing senior level European visits, working closely with colleagues across the FCA to ensure a coordinated and considered approach
• Supporting the team in working closely with HMT and the Bank of England to support combined engagement opportunities, such as the EU-UK Regulatory Forum

What you will get from the role

The work of the Europe Strategy and Engagement Team is high-profile and fast-paced. The successful candidate will:

• Help shape, design and implement important aspects of our international engagement strategy;
• Work with the Lead Associate to support and assist them in their responsibility for overseeing a wide range of relationships in Brussels, including with EU institutions;
• Contribute to work in sustainable finance policy and work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, ensuring we take account of international examples and evidence in our decision-making; and
• Work in a dynamic and changing environment, in a friendly team with experienced, highly skilled and motivated people

Our competitive flexible benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifecycle. You can use this allowance to purchase additional benefits such as dental or cycle to work or you have the option top up your base salary by taking this as cash.

Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:

• 25 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

We support hybrid working which means you will be able to work from home up to 60% of the time over a month with the remainder of your time in one of our three office locations.
The skills and experience you will have
Minimum

We are a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to disabled candidates entering under the scheme, who best meet the minimum criteria for a role.

• Prior experience of European and/or international relations, policy making and regulation
• Prior experience of advising and influencing internal and external stakeholders

Essential

• Work inclusively and collaboratively, as part of a multi-disciplinary team, drawing on range of expertise across the wider organisation to deliver
• Ability to analyse complex issues, make judgements and proposals to build a long-term plan; comfortable working with incomplete information
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues succinctly and compellingly, adapted to the audience
• Ability to identify and manage key stakeholders, building rapport and constructive relationships
• Good self-management and organisational skills, delivering multiple tasks under pressure
• Clear understanding and articulation of the FCA’s functions and objectives within the UK financial regulatory framework and our approach to supervision and enforcement
• Comfortable working across a wide-range of regulatory policy areas and challenges

About the FCA
The FCA regulates the conduct of 50,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. We do this to make sure markets work well for individuals, businesses and the economy as a whole. For more information on what we do, our three-year strategy can be found
here.
The FCA’s Values & Diversity
Our ambition is to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. 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.
The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of the organisations. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled and minority ethnic candidates for our Associate role.
Flexible working
We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements. Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours, and job shares. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we won’t judge you for asking.
Multi-location
As part of the FCA’s on-going commitment to develop our national presence, most of our vacancies are now open to working in our Edinburgh, Leeds, or London offices. This means that as part of the application process you will be able to select your preference of which office location you would like to work from.

Useful Information

• This role is graded Associate, Level 8 - Regulatory
• Applications for this role close on Sunday 13th October 2024 (midnight)
• CVs will be reviewed by the recruiting team from Monday 14th October onwards

Got a question?
For internal candidates: please speak to Jen Wishart on
Jennifer.wishart@fca.org.uk
For external applicants, please contact Ifrah Azam on
Ifrah.azam@fca.org.uk
What to expect from our interview process

The process will likely involve two stages:

• A case study followed by a competency based interview
• Second round interview

Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role.
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.
If you have an accessibility requirement, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter to discuss this further. Our aim is to make your application as easy and comfortable as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible.

• Prior experience of European and/or international relations, policy making and regulation
• Prior experience of advising and influencing internal and external stakeholder