Head of Department, Retail Investigations
At the FCA,we’recreating a fair and more resilient financial system.We’reestablishingmore transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financialmarketsand protecting vulnerable consumers.
We’recurrently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit.
Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, marketdataand information management maturity are all being pursued tomaintainour position as a world leader in financial services regulation.
In March 2025, the FCA launched a new 5-year strategy to deepen trust, rebalance risk, support growth and improve lives. The FCA will focus on four priorities:
1. Be a smarter regulator; predictable,purposefuland proportionate. The FCA will improve its processes and embrace technology to become more efficient and effective.
2. Support sustained economic growth, by enabling investment, innovation and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the UK’s world-leading financial services.
3. Help consumers navigate their financial lives by working with industry to boost trust, product innovation and ensuring the right information and support is available for people to take financial decisions.
4. Fight financial crime, focusing on those whoseekto use the fact they are regulated to do harm. It will go further to disrupt criminals and support firms to be an effective line of defence.
The Role
The vacancy is in Retail 3, which sits in the Retail & Regulatory Investigations directorate and is one of three departments focused on taking regulatory, civil, and criminal proceedings against firms and individuals in retail/consumer markets.The Department iscomprisedof multi-disciplinary teams of experienced professionals including lawyers,accountantsand investigators with 4 investigation teams and a Crypto Hub team.TheCrypto Hubjoins upEMO'scryptoassetwork, to support the progression of action to tackle crypto harm, and to advance complex work preparing for the UK's regulation of crypto. It brings together and further develops resource from investigations, intelligence, regulatory and legal.
Retail investigates sectors covering retail banking, asset management, mortgage broking and lending, insurance, financial advice, consumercreditand payment services. It deals with firms that sell unsuitable products or services to consumers, mishandle client money and assets, or have governance and systemic issues. It also investigates financial crime matters andtakes actionagainst individuals under SMCR, APER and/or fitness and properness regimes.
The successful candidate will be a member of the Division's senior leadership team and will be expected to take a full role in supporting and challenging others to deliver the full range of the Division's responsibilities (which also include Market Oversight and Intelligence). The candidate will work collaboratively ensuring that the Division offers itsstaff a challenging and high-performance place to work and that the Division is constantly focussed on improving efficiency and innovation in its work and contributing to the leadership and strategy of theFCA as a whole.
What will the candidate get from the role?
5. You’lljoin the FCA’s senior leadership team at an exciting period of change for financial services and its regulation.
6. You will lead adepartmentof talented and committed people, working collaboratively on significant projects and programmes.
7. You’llget exposure to a broad range of issues and will contribute to both Enforcement and Market Oversight’s and the wider FCA’s senior leadership team, helping to shape and influence the organisation’s strategy.
The main responsibilities of the post holder will include:
8. Lead and motivate a diverse multi-disciplinary department of investigators.
9. Build a strong and inclusive department that attracts and develops diverse talent in support of the FCA’s diversity,equalityand inclusion commitments.
10. The active management and delivery of a varied caseload of on-going investigations at a variety of stages and to tighttimeframes. Ensuring those cases are delivered fairly, effectively, and efficiently, with an emphasis on delivering anddemonstratingvalue for money.
11. Act collaboratively with other enforcementHoDsto support the Director in the delivery of Retail enforcementexpertiseto the FCA.
12. Be accountable for divisional budget and resource management decisions as part of the senior divisional leadership team.
13. Drive a culture of high performance, relying on coaching, influencing, and negotiating skills with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
14. Setting the strategic direction of the department (and with other senior management contributing to the strategic direction of the Division).
15. Leading negotiations in high profile and sometimes controversial cases.
16. Contributing to the strategic development of the FCA, including through participation on programme and project boards across the organisation.
Skills/Experiencerequired
We’reproud to be aDisability Confident Employer, and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet theminimumcriteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high applicationvolumeswe may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements. (To learn more about the Disability Confident SchemeClick Here)
Minimum
17. Strong people management and leadership experience - proven ability to lead, motivate and inspire large teams as well as experience in tackling performance issues to build high performing teams.
18. Extensive experienceleadingcomplexinvestigations.
19. Excellent stakeholder management skills, with evidenced experience influencing internally & externally/
20. Ability to drive change and process efficiency/improvements, delivering value for money and innovation.
21. Demonstrates an understanding of the regulatory, and political, environment in which the FCA operates.
Essential
22. Good technical understanding of the overall regulatory framework in the UK and the FCA's place within it, with knowledge of the FCA’s powers and policies in relation to investigation and enforcement activity including criminal investigations and prosecutions.
23. Negotiation and influencing skills - to deploy internally and externally.
24. Budget management experience and experience of managing external resources and multi-disciplinary teams.
25. Ability to form strong working relationships across different business areas and to set joint goals for delivery
26. Robustness in the face of challenge, ability to make decisions in a rapid and balanced way.
27. High levelof personal resilience witha track recordin delivering results against business priorities.
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. We serve the public and our decisions directly affect the wellbeing of people,businessesand the UK economy. So, ourvaluesmatter. Theyrepresentthe culture we aspire to every day, guiding our judgements, buildingtrustand helping us to be ‘At our best’.
The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of our organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups.
As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements, including job shares. Please inform your recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.
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,Leedsor 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.
Application Support
We want to remove anypossible barriersand are committed toprovidinga 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 thisfurther. Our aim is to make you application as easy as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible.
Benefits
Our competitive benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifecycle. You can thisthis allowance topurchaseadditionalbenefits such as dental or cycle to work, or you have the option to top up your base salary by taking this as cash.
Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:
28. 30 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
29. Private healthcare with Bupa
30. 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)
31. Life assurance of eight times your basic salary
32. Income protection
Conflicts of interest
All applicants to the FCAare required todemonstratethat they do not have other interests likely to conflict with their responsibilities as an employee of the FCA. You should declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process,and alsodiscloseinformation or personal connections that, if appointed, might be open to misperception.
Anypotential conflicts of interestwill not prevent candidates going forward to interview but may, ifappropriate, be explored during the interview toestablishhow the candidate would address the issue(s) should they be successful in their application.
Useful information
33. The closing date for this role is 23:55 onSunday15thFebruary2026
34. Selectionwill be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment
35. This rolecan be London, Edinburgh or Leeds based.If the successful applicant is based in Edinburgh or Leeds, regular travel to the London office will berequiredas the team is primarily London based.
36. The salary range for the rolefor London£130,000 to £165,000, and National £118,000to £148,500.
37. If successful, you willbe requiredto obtain andretainSC Clearance.
38. We currentlyoperatea hybrid working model, working a minimum of 40% in the office each month (50% for senior leaders). This way of working applies in our Stratford,Leedsand Edinburgh offices. From September 2026, FCA employees willbe requiredto spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office. Our Executive Director and Directors will be expected to be in a minimum of 60% per month.
39. This recruitment campaign may also serve to pipeline for future talent.
To apply, pleasesubmityour CV and cover letter via the FCA careers page (workday). Please note we are unable to accept applications by email.
For further information about the role, please contactRoy Bingcang –k