Senior Associate – Banking and Insurance Department
Division –
Authorisations
Salary –
National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £71,000 and London £57,700 to £78,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
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. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.
Join our supportive Insurance Authorisations Team as a Senior Associate, where you'll contribute to meaningful regulatory decisions across the UK insurance sector. This role offers variety and purpose, with opportunities to assess applications from life, general, and Lloyd's market firms - both solo and dual-regulated.
The team works with colleagues across supervision, policy, legal, and risk teams, building trusted relationships and evaluating a wide range of regulatory applications, including new firm authorisations, variations of permission, Part VII transfers, and pre-application requests. Your insights will help shape the future of insurance regulation in the UK.
It is an exciting time for the team as we continually adapt to new and varied insurance business models, the increasing use of digital channels with new and innovative customer offerings whilst simultaneously contributing to growth in the market as a smarter and more efficient regulator.
This role offers variety, purpose and the chance to grow in a team that values diverse perspectives and shared success.
What will you be doing?
* Lead your own portfolio of cases, applying sound judgement and working with firms to address risks and support positive outcomes for consumers
* Shape gateway strategies for new insurers and intermediaries, contributing to fair, risk-aware authorisation decisions
* Assess applications with care, identifying potential harms and evaluating governance and controls to inform timely, balanced recommendations
* Apply your understanding of insurance markets—including life, general and Lloyd's—to navigate emerging trends and their impact on regulatory decisions
* Foster strong, respectful relationships across the FCA and PRA, working together to deliver joined-up, meaningful outcomes
* Contribute to wider projects and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders, offering insight and support—even when conversations are challenging
What You Will Get From The Role
* A chance to shape the future direction of the team and wider Authorisations Division through strategic thinking
* Exposure to a varied and rewarding portfolio of work across the insurance regulatory landscape
* Opportunities to deepen your understanding of insurance firms, systems and processes
* The ability to guide new insurance entrants with early, thoughtful regulatory insight that supports their development
* Experience delivering tailored feedback and navigating sensitive conversations to help firms submit strong applications
* The opportunity to build trusted relationships across the FCA, PRA and wider stakeholder networks
Which skills are required?
We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process (to learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here).
Minimum
* Prior experience analysing business models and identifying risks that may impact firms or their customers
* Prior experience navigating the UK regulatory framework with confidence and care
* Prior experience building and sustaining professional relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders
Essential
* Ability to absorb and analyse information to make sound, risk-aware decisions
* Proactive mindset with the confidence to use initiative and spot emerging issues
* Strong team player who adapts positively to change and embraces new ways of working
* Skilled at managing competing priorities and delivering under pressure
* Comfortable offering constructive challenge and contributing to senior-level discussions
* Clear and confident communicator, able to write effectively and present with impact
* Excellent time and workload management, with a focus on thoughtful prioritisation
* Confident navigating ambiguity and applying sound judgement in complex situations
Our Values & Diversity
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture 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.
Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.
Did you know?
50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.
Benefits Of Working At The FCA
* 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
* Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
* Private healthcare with Bupa
* 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)
* Life assurance of eight times your basic salary
* Income protection
We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.
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 can explore what might work best for both sides.
Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA
Application Support
We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.
If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.
Useful Information and Timeline
* This role is graded as Senior Associate- Regulatory
* Advert Closing Date: Sunday 12th October 2025 (midnight)
* CV Review/Shortlist: 14th October 2025
* Interview: w/c 20th October 2025
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.
Got a question?
If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Steve Christopher on
Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted