Job Title: Financial Lives survey Research Analyst
Division: Cross-Cutting Policy & Strategy
Department: Cross-Cutting Response, Research & Contracts
Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £31,600 to £50,000 and London from £34,700 to £55,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
This role is graded as: Associate – Regulatory
Your recruitment contact is Sartaj Deol via sartaj.deol@hays.com. Applications must be submitted through our online portal: a CV is needed, and a 300 word statement on why you are interested in and suitable for this role. 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.
Strategy, Policy and Competition (SPC) oversees firms and individuals (supervision), creates and reviews the rules by which they operate (policy) and identifies and remedies ineffective competition in markets (competition).
Sitting in Cross-Cutting Policy & Strategy (CCPS) directorate, the FCA’s Market Research team provides vital consumer, firm and stakeholder insights that support regulatory decisions.
Role responsibilities
Working across multiple workstreams for the Financial Lives survey (FLS) within a high-performing team, i.e. questionnaire development, survey script testing, sampling and recruitment, data tables specification, weighting, analysis and reporting
Supporting the team on one or more of the ancillary FLS workstreams e.g. cognitive testing and qualitative research
Supporting senior colleagues within the team who specialise in retail financial sectors through note-taking at meetings and figure-checking reports, and gaining knowledge to become a trusted “number 2” on selected sectors and the market research expertise to deliver a large-scale survey
Running analysis and producing slide deck reports on selected topics
Supporting the team’s wider work for the FCA on ad hoc surveys and qualitative research, using your knowledge of market research
Within 12-18 months, you will take on your own sector or cross-sector clients within the FCA, shaping the FCA’s regulatory approach by providing data-driven insights into consumer behaviour and potential harm
Skills required
Minimum:
Prior experience in market research, at the FCA or with another a regulator, a government body, academia, or a market research agency
Proven experience of quantitative research with consumers / general public, including script checking, working with survey data and data tables, producing charts, and figure-checking
Prior experience of at least one of the following: writing reports for publication, qualitative research, or working with survey data in SPSS, R, Python, Excel or similar
Essential:
Some knowledge or experience of the financial services industry and the regulatory environment in which it operates
Strong communication skills with experience of reporting and presenting research findings
High attention to detail, with the ability and willingness to follow processes that ensure the quality and consistency of work across the team
Willingness to work flexibly to help where and when needed across the team
Effective at planning and prioritisation, to deliver high quality outputs to deadlines
A quick learner, who can build knowledge of financial services sectors and use this to support colleagues and, within 12-18 months, can take on managing work in particular financial sectors or topics
Benefits
25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work
Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection, and 24/7 Employee Assistance
35 hours of paid volunteering annually
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:
Job advert close: Sunday 30th November (23:59)
CV Review/Shortlist: Monday 1st December
First Interview: Commencing Thursday 11th December
Second round shortlist: Friday 19th December
Second Interview: Commencing Wednesday 7th January
Please note there are 2 positions available
Please ensure you supply a cover letter (300 words) alongside your CV in order to progress your application
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.