Division: Authorisations
Department: Wholesale
Salary – National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £28,800 to £35,000 and London £31,600 to £40,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
This role is graded as: Senior Professional Support – Corporate
Your recruitment contact is Rumana via Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.
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, supporting economic growth, and shaping the future of UK finance services
The Authorisations Division serves as the initial point of contact for firms and individuals seeking to provide regulated financial services in the UK, making authorisation decisions to ensure applicants meet the FCA's standards.
The Wholesale Authorisations Department sits within the Authorisations Division and is responsible for various regulatory transactions which include the authorisation of solo regulated firms that are new to the regulated environment, as well as variation of permissions of existing solo regulated firms.
Role Responsibilities
Acting as the first point of contact for internal and external queries within the Heads of Departments' (HoD's) office, while building effective working relationships with colleagues across all levels of the FCA
Providing central support to the department by managing and resolving ad hoc issues related to the use of FCA systems, and handling queries on behalf of the HoDs
Efficiently manage the HoD's time through effective diary coordination, incorporating flexibility for short‑notice changes, arranging travel for the HoD and management team, and overseeing the inbox to prioritise approval requests
Organising the smooth running of departmental meetings, preparing agendas, managing meetings documents, coordinating briefings, recording decisions and following up on actions where necessary
Collating the Department's contribution to the weekly note ahead of review by the EA
Providing ad hoc leave/illness cover for other PAs within Authorisations as and when needed
Minimum
Skills required
Proven experience providing high‑quality HoD‑level administrative and PA support, including complex diary and mailbox management
Proven experience in a role which has required effective written and verbal communication skills, along with the capability to cultivate and manage stakeholder relationships across all levels
Experience using Microsoft Outlook, OneNote, Excel, PowerPoint and SharePoint
Essential
Demonstrates considerable initiative and proficient organizational skills, with the ability to work efficiently to meet tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy, and methodically track and escalate issues when required
Agile and able to handle shifting priorities, with the ability to work effectively during tight deadlines while maintaining strong attention to detail
Ability to analyse and rapidly assimilate new information and understand complex issues, and provide practical recommendations, while maintaining discretion and composure when handling sensitive and high‑stakes matters
Ability to work on their own initiative and plan effectively, prioritising tasks and handling competing deadlines, while also contributing positively within a team to meet shared goals
Experience handling highly confidential and sensitive staff information with discretion, professionalism, integrity, and the ability to maintain security, trust, and confidentiality of information
Responsive to changing circumstances and action-oriented, taking initiative to address challenges with a positive, solution-focused mindset and following them to completion
Benefits
25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
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)
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
A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle
For a full list of our benefits, and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.
Our values & 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 timeline
Advert Closing: 2nd March 2026
CV Review/Shortlist: 4th March 2026
Interviews: Commencing from 12th March 2026
Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.