Job title: Associate Legal Adviser, Payments and e-money
- 9-Month Fixed-Term Contract
Division: Legal Division
Department: Payments, Credit, Competition and Claims Management (PCCC)
1. Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £47,200 to £70,800 and London from £50,000 to £75,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
2. This role is graded as: Associate, L8, Practising Legal
3. Your recruitment contact is Raimonda via k.
4. 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, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.
The Legal Division plays a crucial role in supporting colleagues across the FCA deliver regulatory interventions. Within Legal Division, the Payments Team leads on advice relating to the regulation of payment services, e-money, stablecoins and retail banking, supporting the FCA’s role under the National Payments Vision. In doing so the team provides crucial solutions based input on complex, high-profile legal issues.
Role responsibilities
5. Provide legal advice at the forefront of financial regulation and consumer protection on a range of matters, including complex and high-profile issues
6. Advise on the application and effect of regulatory requirements and FCA powers, working with colleagues to ensure firms comply with applicable rules and legislation
7. Contribute to the FCA’s policy development, including drafting rules and guidance in the FCA Handbook
8. Develop and implement pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice to support regulatory outcomes
9. Take ownership of legal workstreams while developing strong problem-solving and project management skills
10. Collaborate with colleagues across the FCA and with external stakeholders such as the Bank of England and HM Treasury on key regulatory initiatives
Skills required
Minimum:
11. Applicants must be a qualified lawyer (solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive) with at least 2 years’ PQE (in house, public sector or private practice) or equivalent experience
12. Experience of financial services law or public law, or experience working within a financial services organisation, government department, regulator or other public body
Essential:
13. Strong analytical skills with the ability to produce clear, well-reasoned legal analysis
14. Ability to quickly understand and engage with new or complex legal issues, applying legal knowledge in a practical and commercial context
15. Ability to develop pragmatic, outcome-focused legal advice and solutions
16. Confidence to provide clear, evidence-based legal advice, including constructively challenging stakeholders where appropriate
17. Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-legal audiences
18. Ability to work collaboratively and build effective working relationships across legal teams and with colleagues in policy, supervision and enforcement
19. Knowledge of, or the ability to rapidly develop knowledge, in areas relevant to the FCA’s work, such as financial services regulation, retail banking, payment services, e-money or stablecoins
Benefits
20. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
21. 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)
22. Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
23. Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance
24. 35 hours of paid volunteering annually
25. 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 and 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 timelines
Timeline:
26. Job advert closes: 31st March 2026 at 11:59pm
27. CV Review/Shortlist: 2nd April 2026
28. Interview: w/c 13th April 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