Lead Wholesale Cryptoasset Policy Associate

at  Financial Conduct Authority

Salary: National ranging from £57,600 to £71,900 and London £63,300 to £79,100 per annum – Salary offered will be based on skills and experience
Are you interested in joining a team that will help shape and deliver the future of wholesale cryptoasset policy at the FCA?
The team/department
We are looking for a Lead Associate role to join the Wholesale Cryptoasset Policy team. The core areas the team focusses on are: crypto trading, execution and settlement activities, cryptoasset market abuse, and cryptoasset admissions and disclosures.
You will join a dedicated team of policy professionals who are focused on shaping creative and evidence-based policy solutions that benefit consumers, markets and competition. We work collaboratively to solve problems and flexibly to delivery market integrity. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and encouraging new ideas.
As financial markets in crypto and digital assets develop and mature, entering the comprehensively regulated world of wholesale markets, regulators also need to innovate and adapt our regulatory frameworks to deal with new and evolving opportunities and challenges. We are therefore in the process of designing a more comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto to help shape the future of this diverse, fast-paced, and ever-changing sector.
The Capital Markets Department within the Supervision, Policy and Competition Division at the FCA is at the forefront of developing policy solutions in the wholesale markets, considering new policy tools within the evolving UK legal and regulatory framework and working with international partners to meet the FCA’s core objective of market integrity. We are at the forefront of delivering the FCA s three year strategy in particular promoting competition and positive change.

What you will be doing

• Supporting the Manager in overseeing the activity of the team, helping to motivate and set direction and allocating and tracking delivery of tasks and pushing forward high-quality performance
• Line managing 2/3 associates, coaching and developing members of the team and sharing knowledge actively across the team
• Applying creativity and innovation to develop policy solutions for the challenges created by the introduction of new actors and products in wholesale markets
• Working with others across the FCA to harness expertise and knowledge from other departments, including those working in retail crypto policy, Enforcement and Market Oversight and Wholesale Supervision
• Helping to manage relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders in this field as well as engaging effectively with key internal and other regulatory stakeholders, including international regulators, HM Treasury, PRA, the Bank of England, and our independent panels, to communicate FCA policy views, influence others and manage key relationships

What will you get from the role?

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
• Private healthcare with Bupa
• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of your basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age – up to 12% a month once you reach the age of 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.
This role is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of policy in the FCA in a new and evolving area of policy. The role is best suited to those who are interested in working in a fast-paced, flexible environment.

As part of this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Develop line management skills
• Develop an improved understanding of crypto markets
• Obtain significant exposure to UK capital markets, working closely with a wide array of stakeholders, include market participants and other regulatory and government bodies
• Gain exposure to FCA Senior Management, with periodic discussions at both Executive Regulation and Policy Committee (ERPC) and the FCA Board

The skills and experience you’ll have
We’re a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to any disabled candidates entering under the scheme, who best meet the minimum criteria for a role.

Minimum

• Proven experience of leading and delivering complex pieces of work using a project-based approach
• Experience of working in a regulatory/strategy/public policy role in wholesale financial services

Essential

• Familiarity with digital assets through whether gained in industry, research, economics, insight or policy work
• Leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively and act as a role model
• Experience of exercising judgement in complex situations, and of senior stakeholder management and influencing effectively, and
• Good self-management skills to plan and drive forward work to meet deadlines, while also having the flexibility to change priorities when required

Please note the FCA Conflicts of Interest policy will apply to any members of the team with regards to any activities in relation to cryptoassets.
About the FCA
The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 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. We particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups
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.
Multilocation & hybrid working
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
Applications for this role close on at midnight on 3rd November
This role is graded as Lead Associate – Regulatory
What to expect from our interview process

The process will involve two separate stages:

• A case study exercise
• Competency-based interviews for candidates successful in the case study

Recruitment Timetable
Advert closing Date: 3rd November
Case Studies: W/C 11th November
Interviews: W/C 18th November
Please make the recruiter aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.
Got a question?
If you are an external candidate and you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Aaron Ward on
aaron.ward@fca.org.uk
If you are an internal candidate and you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Lucy Matthews on
lucy.matthews@fca.org.uk
Please note that all applications must be submitted through our online portal before the closing date, applications sent via email will not be accepted.
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

What you will be doing

• Supporting the Manager in overseeing the activity of the team, helping to motivate and set direction and allocating and tracking delivery of tasks and pushing forward high-quality performance
• Line managing 2/3 associates, coaching and developing members of the team and sharing knowledge actively across the team
• Applying creativity and innovation to develop policy solutions for the challenges created by the introduction of new actors and products in wholesale markets
• Working with others across the FCA to harness expertise and knowledge from other departments, including those working in retail crypto policy, Enforcement and Market Oversight and Wholesale Supervision
• Helping to manage relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders in this field as well as engaging effectively with key internal and other regulatory stakeholders, including international regulators, HM Treasury, PRA, the Bank of England, and our independent panels, to communicate FCA policy views, influence others and manage key relationship

As part of this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Develop line management skills
• Develop an improved understanding of crypto markets
• Obtain significant exposure to UK capital markets, working closely with a wide array of stakeholders, include market participants and other regulatory and government bodies
• Gain exposure to FCA Senior Management, with periodic discussions at both Executive Regulation and Policy Committee (ERPC) and the FCA Boar