Director – Cross-Cutting Policy & Strategy

Requirements of the role

We’re looking for a Director to lead the Cross-Cutting Policy and Strategy Directorate (CCPS), within the Supervision Policy & Competition Division. This is an exciting opportunity to lead a Directorate that is at the heart of FCA policy-making and consumer protection. CCPS plays a pivotal role in leading and supporting delivery of many of the FCA’s highest-profile policies, including the Consumer Duty, Smarter Regulatory Framework and AI policy.

CCPS both leads the delivery of cross-cutting policies and supports other Divisions across the FCA to deliver. It plays a critical role in leading policies that affect multiple financial services markets, such as redress, prudential, AI and consumer policy. It also plays a central function, coordinating projects where multiple Divisions have responsibility for delivery, such as the Smarter Regulatory Framework programme of file transfers, the Consumer Duty and our response to support consumers affected by cost of living pressures.

The Division is also responsible for the FCA’s Policy Profession and ensuring that policy work carried out both in CCPS and across the rest of the FCA is effectively prioritised and governed.

The Director of CCPS will take a key leadership role in overseeing the delivery of CCPS’ areas of responsibility, ensuring timely and high quality delivery of outputs. The Director will,, manage a senior leadership team and  the resources of the Directorate, as well as working in a matrix fashion with teams across other areas of SPC and the FCA to ensure effective coordination and delivery of cross-sector work.

Key areas of the Directorate’s work are specified below and the specific accountabilities of the successful candidate will be agreed with the Executive Director, Consumers & Competition.

You will direct and lead the work for the SPC and the FCA’s Strategy and public commitments in relation to the following areas:

• Co-ordinating prioritisation and governance of policies across SPC and FCA
• Embedding the Consumer Duty
• Preparing financial services for the future and taking forward the FCA’s work on the Smarter Regulatory Framework
• Co-ordinating the FCA’s response to the cost-of-living crisis, and leading on the FCA’s work on consumer vulnerability and financial inclusion
• Leading the development and delivery of Prudential policy, Redress policy SMCR, Governance and Remuneration policy
• Oversight and coordination of the financial regulatory family (e.g. FSCS, FOS) including under the Wider Implications Framework
• Financial Lives Survey and consumer research and insight
• Maintaining relationships with Consumer partnerships and other sector regulators in the UKRN
• Unfair terms in financial services contracts
• Coordinating market analysis across SPC
• Overseeing  the FCA’s Policy profession
• Developing the FCA’s approach to future and emerging cross-sector issues, such as the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Other priority areas of work as agreed with the Executive Director, Consumers & Competition.

The post-holder will also serve as the Director sponsor for the Financial Services Consumer Panel and FCA’s representative on consumer protection at the OECD.

You will work closely with Directors across SPC, to help ensure a coordinated, coherent approach in relation to all cross-cutting matters (including, but not limited, to the Market Analysis and Policy departments in each Directorate).  You’ll also work closely with the Director of Competition to deliver key projects within the Competition portfolio, focusing on the policy and remedies aspects.

You will work with the Executive Director on strategic priorities and prioritisation discussions with Executive and Board committees such as Executive Regulation and Policy Committee and the Board Policy & Rules Committee and Oversight Committee

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery and coordination of key pieces of cross cutting work (such as the Consumer Duty, the organisations’ approach on redress and prudential policy and AI policy, and leading the work on the Smarter Regulatory Framework.
• Work closely with colleagues across SPC, providing constructive support and challenge on the policy interventions from those Directorates, and ensuring appropriate prioritisation, governance and standards in policymaking.
• Lead and develop the Policy profession.
• Set the FCA’s strategic approach to consumer policy across UK financial services markets,  including delivery of the Consumer Duty as well as wider consumer policy initiatives as well as cases under consumer protection legislation.
• Manage relationships with appropriate external consumer and partner organisations.
• Provide the FCA with consumer market research, analysis and  accessible insights to FCA and others, including the Financial Lives Survey.
• Joint pan-FCA champion and thought leader on all things consumer and competition, with the Director of Competition.
• [Acting as FCA’s Director sponsor in managing relationship with the Financial Services Consumer Panel]
• [Chair of OECD Committee on Financial Consumer Protection].
• Developing and delivering a long-term strategy for the directorate, aligning to broader divisional and organisational strategies.
• Leading on performance, capability, and culture within the directorate, with a strong focus on operational excellence.
• Managing the resources and budget of the Directorate.
• Delivering through others by relying on coaching, influencing, and negotiating skills with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Building a strong and inclusive directorate that attracts and develop diverse talent.

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