Financial Technical Specialist

Requirements of the role

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.

At CIARA, we work at pace to drive growth and deliver for retail customers from fostering innovation to tackling harmful market behaviours, this role offers immediate and meaningful impact. The Authorisations Division at the FCA is responsible for assessing and determining applications from firms and professionals seeking to conduct regulated activities. Our work ensures applicants meet and continue to uphold the FCA’s required standards. Authorisations collaborate closely with Supervision, Policy and Competition (SPC), as well as Enforcement and Market Oversight, to ensure a coordinated and holistic regulatory approach.

Within this division, the Consumer Investments and Appointed Representatives Department (CIARA) assesses applications from firms and professionals across the Consumer Investments portfolios and the Appointed Representatives (AR) regime. As one of two departmental Technical Specialists, you will play a key role in the CIARA leadership team, providing deep technical expertise and strategic insight. Your focus will span the Consumer Investments sectors, with particular emphasis on Wealth Management, Investment Platforms and Crowdfunding, ensuring the FCA’s regulatory gateway remains robust and effective.

What will you be doing?

• Provide expert technical guidance across CIARA’s portfolios especially in wealth management, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding and SIPPs to ensure high-quality Authorisation decisions and impactful regulatory outcomes
• Take the lead on technical workstreams, contributing thoughtful insight to policy development, supervisory strategy and initiatives shaping the consumer investments landscape
• Champion capability building within CIARA by mentoring colleagues, nurturing confidence and promoting a culture of learning, collaboration and technical excellence
• Assess complex firm data and financial forecasts with sound judgement, applying prudential expertise to evaluate resilience, identify risks and shape appropriate regulatory responses
• Work collaboratively across divisions including Supervision, Policy, Legal and Enforcement to co-create joined-up, innovative solutions to emerging regulatory challenges
• Represent CIARA and the FCA with credibility and empathy in both internal and external forums, communicating complex technical matters with clarity to influence outcomes and advance the FCA’s objectives

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