Senior Associate, Payments and Digital Assets
Division: Supervision, Policy and Competition
Department: Payments & Digital Assets
Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £65,000 and London from £57,700 to £72,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
This role is graded as: Senior Associate, Regulatory
Your recruitment contact is Shafika via Shafika.shaikh@fca.org.uk Applications must be submitted through our online portal. 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.
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 the Payments and Digital Assets directorate, the Policy department develops policy to address the challenges and opportunities the FCA identifies in crypto, open banking, open finance sectors.
Role responsibilities
Manage and deliver high profile crypto policy projects by leveraging your analytical and project management skills, shaping the regulatory landscape for emerging technologies
Assess business models and activities to propose regulatory treatments, ensuring fair, transparent, and future proof compliance frameworks
Craft and present policy proposals to senior FCA stakeholders, driving decisions that protect consumers and support market integrity.
Represent the FCA externally with government bodies and regulators — building trust and shaping policy at the highest levels
Contribute to international policy discussions with global stakeholders, helping set standards that position the UK as a leader in crypto regulation
Provide training, advice, and briefings to colleagues on policy issues empowering teams with knowledge to deliver consistent and informed outcomes
Skills required
Minimum:
Relevant qualification or experience in research, economics, law or policy
Prior experience of taking a project-based approach to complex problems
Demonstratable experience in applying reasoning skills and judgement, whether gained in industry, research, economics, law, insight, or policy work
Essential:
Knowledge of the UK regulatory framework
Some knowledge of the cryptoassets sector and adaptive learner/keen learner
Understanding of what makes markets work well for consumers and the impact of regulation on consumers, including unintended outcomes
Experience of assessing risks arising in complex business models
Experience in analysing complex information, reaching well-informed judgements, and identifying and presenting relevant issues and recommendations in a timely manner
Ability to work promptly amidst demanding circumstances, use sound judgement and escalate issues appropriately
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 timeline
Job advert close: 28th January 2026
CV Review/Shortlist: 30th January 2026
First Interview: w/c 9th February 2026
There are 3 permanent positions available for this role
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.