Job description
Innovation Consulting and Change Specialist
Financial Conduct Authority – Permanent, Full-Time
Background
An innovative industry demands an innovative regulator.
The FCA’s Innovation department is looking for talented, motivated and outcome focused individuals with varied experience and backgrounds to join our enthusiastic and diverse team. We sit within the Data, Technology and Innovation Division, which is at the forefront of transforming the FCA as we meet the demands of a digital regulatory future.
We support the FCA to be a progressive and forward-thinking regulator. We protect consumers, encourage competition and work with innovative financial services firms to deliver the best products and services that they can. We see our role as enabling the financial services sector to achieve its potential. In a nutshell, we want to support innovative businesses in the interest of consumers and markets, not just scrutinise them.
We are currently recruiting an Engagement and Co-ordination lead to join our Change and Development team
Change and Development is a new team within Innovation. Technology is rapidly changing financial services and we must ensure that we evolve alongside the industry we regulate. Our aim is to be at the forefront of regulatory innovation – over the last few years our Regulatory Sandbox, firm support model, and TechSprint programme have been adopted by other regulators around the world, as well as producing cutting-edge thinking in sectors such as artificial intelligence and emerging technology.
In the Change team, our role is to ask, “what’s next?”. And then build it.
We’re responsible for the department’s transformation agenda, including scoping and developing new service lines and initiatives, optimising existing ones, as well as our external and internal engagement programme.
In this role you will work with a broad array of stakeholders on exciting cross-cutting sectors. We work closely with technologists, financial institutions, start-ups, academia and peer regulators to ensure that FCA Innovation is a modern and bleeding-edge regulatory function.
For anyone thinking of joining, a strong interest in emerging technology such as AI, CryptoAssets, Machine Learning, DLT and blockchain, cloud and digital transformation would be a plus.
What does the role involve? What are the key responsibilities?
In this role you will lead on the design and delivery of the change programme within innovation. It’s also an opportunity to work across the whole innovation department in a project orientated approach.
- Supporting the manager to build a change function that ensures our market-facing services are at the forefront of regulatory innovation
- Creating a structured approach to developing and evolving our existing services (such as the regulatory sandbox, Innovation Pathways) as well as scoping potential new service lines and initiatives.
- Championing and embedding innovative approaches to complex problem solving into our department’s delivery frameworks (e.g. Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, Futures Thinking etc.) and facilitating these through stakeholders workshops and other sessions.
- Responsible for building a change pipeline, scoped and appropriately prioritised to understand resources required and expected business value.
- As well as setting Change strategy, work across the department and get involved with hands on delivery of high priority initiatives.
- An ability to bring project management discipline and rigour to project delivery through appropriate methods tools and practices eg agile.
- Be adaptable and pragmatic. The FinTech and RegTech sector is a fast-moving industry and change doesn’t follow a straight line. Be able to adjust to new systems, technologies, processes, and policy changes.
What will the candidate get from the role?
- Creative freedom: we are a team that values new ideas and approaches, and you will be encouraged and supported to develop new ideas and given the backing to implement them.
- The opportunity to lead on and take ownership of the overall Innovation change strategy. The Innovation Department has been in growth mode, growing in terms of both numbers as well as new teams, capabilities and market facing services. This is an exciting time to shape our functions and build the next iteration of regulatory innovation.
- This is a high profile and cross-cutting role – our stakeholders range from incumbents and start-ups to tech firms and Government. We also have a significant international presence with our Global Financial Innovation (GFIN) Network.
- Exposure to new ideas, opportunity to increase knowledge and expertise of the technology sector, and to build networks within the FinTech and RegTech ecosystems.
- A dynamic and diverse team of colleagues who are passionate about their work and believe in open collaboration
Which minimum, essential & desirable skills are required?
We’re a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role. A minimum criterion needs to be measurable from reviewing a candidate’s CV. Exceptions may apply if due to the volume of applications we are not able to interview all eligible candidates who qualify under the scheme.
Minimum
- 5+ years of experience in related roles (e.g. Management Consultant, Innovation Consultant)
- Experience using innovative problem-solving approaches (e.g. Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, Futures Thinking etc.)
- Proven experience of leading and delivering change and new products/services/processes within an organisation
- Able to collaborate with a broad range of stakeholders both technical and non-technical.
Essential
- Confident collaborating with, and facilitating, senior stakeholders
- Knows how to scope projects, define propositions, and articulate business cases to prioritise a change pipeline
- Can define target operating models and transition people towards them
- Experience of delivery and successfully implementing new projects.
- Able to communicate technical concepts without the use of jargon
- Experience of people management and coaching and developing more junior colleagues
Desirable
- Experienced in financial services and/or regulation
- Knowledge of emerging technologies such as machine learning, AI, blockchain.
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 their customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.
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.
The FCA supports hybrid working and you will be expected to work 40% of your time over a month, in our office. We will consider other flexible arrangements, for example part time working, and you can discuss this with the recruiter.
Useful Information
We are recruiting for an Innovation Consulting and Change Specialist. The role is graded as Technical Specialist within our Regulatory Career Family.
The FCA has a national role and is committed to a national footprint. This role can be based in London, Leeds and Edinburgh. The FCA has London and National Pay ranges to reflect regional differences.
London salary range is approximately £64,000 to £100,000
National salary range (including Edinburgh and Leeds) is approximately £62,000 to £93,000
In addition to your basic salary, you will receive an additional flexible allowance. Our competitive flexible benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle. You can use this allowance to purchase additional benefits such as Critical illness cover, Travel insurance, Dental insurance or Cycle to work or you have the option to top up your base salary by taking this allowance as cash.
Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:
- Holiday entitlement of 25 days per year (plus Bank Holidays)
- Private medical insurance cover for yourself
- Life assurance of eight times of basic salary
- Income protection of 50% of basic salary
- Pension contributions 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).
To read more about our competitive benefits package please
click here
The job post will close on Thursday 30th March 2023. We encourage you to submit applications as soon as possible as due to high volumes, some job postings may close early.
For more information, please contact if you are an internal candidate and if you are an external candidate.
Please note that all applications must be submitted through our online portal, applications sent via email will not be accepted.
Financial Conduct Authority
www.fca.org.uk
London, United Kingdom
Nikhil Rathi
Unknown / Non-Applicable
1001 to 5000 Employees
Non-profit Organisation
National Services & Agencies
2013