Head of Department

About the FCA

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.

We’re currently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit.

Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, market data and information management maturity are all being pursued to maintain our position as a world leader in financial services regulation.

The Role

The Strategic Comms and News Department plays a pivotal role in the Communication Directorate, helping to change opinions and build confidence in the FCA, in support of our work to enable a fair and thriving financial services market for the good of consumers and the economy.

It’s an exciting time as we’re expanding and changing how we do things to deliver more engaging, insight-led, audience-focused communications.

As part of that change, we are creating a new Department, bringing together our strategic comms and media functions in a single team with the aim of providing 360˚ comms advice to the business and developing more subject matter experts within the comms team. Our editorial, speechwriting and social media teams will also sit within this new Department.

The team will play a central role in how we communicate externally, ensuring that what we tell people about our work is clear, concise and compelling. The department will deliver much of our long-term communication plan as well as shorter term communications tactics, so we land the right messages, with the right people, via the best channel, at the right time.

That means at any one time, the Head of Department could be responsible for ensuring delivery of successful media interviews, video content, Executive speeches or targeted stakeholder engagement.

What will the candidate get from the role?

• Joining the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting time with lots to do to enable a thriving financial services market
• This is a great opportunity to lead a team communicating to people across the UK on every aspect of their financial lives and to shape the opinion of the media and commentariat on the work of the FCA. You will get the opportunity to work on the full and varied breadth of the FCA’s output.
• You will be in from the start, helping to forge a new team and setting them an inspiring vision.
• You will advise the most senior leaders in the organisation and the most senior
• stakeholders outside of it.
• This is an opportunity to sharpen and develop the variety of communication skills needed for someone to lead a communication function.

Key responsibilities:

• Set the strategic direction of the department: promoting professional communications best practice, ensuring audience insight is at the heart of what we do, fostering an evaluation mindset, encouraging creativity and innovation; and championing inclusive teamwork.
• Manage the Department’s headcount, budget and risk in an effective and efficient way; recruiting, building capability, supporting talent and driving high performance with reference to the FCA capability framework.
• Ensure that the Department delivers high-quality 360 comms advice for the FCA, building strong strategic partnerships with senior leaders across the breadth of the organisation.
• Act as a trusted comms adviser to the Board, Executive and wider FCA leadership team as required.
• Play an active role in shaping the culture of the Communication Directorate ensuring it is a happy place to work where people feel motivated and support to fulfil their potential.
• Represent the Directorate as necessary on FCA wide committees and with Directors, ExCO and Board members to ensure communication considerations including public confidence are factored in early to wider work.
• Be a member of an out of hours rota providing support to duty officers on call for external comms queries.
• 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
• 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

Skills/Experience Required

The FCA are a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that the FCA guarantees an interview to any disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role. A minimum criterion needs to be measurable from reviewing a candidate’s CV.

Minimum

• Proven experience of providing high quality communication advice on a range of high-profile or sensitive issues.
• Proven experience of successfully devising and delivering a communication strategy, using insight and evaluation.
• Proven experience of successfully briefing journalists.
• Proven experience of writing clear, concise and compelling copy.
• Proven experience of leading multiple teams and ensuring a consistently high level of service.
• Proven experience of juggling concurrently multiple high profile issues.

Essential

• Experience of role modelling strong leadership behaviours in line with organisational values
• The ability to inclusively lead a group of talented individuals with a wide variety of professional expertise, experience, and backgrounds
• An open and flexible management style and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide-ranging audience with different skills and perspectives
• Strong communication skills, including use of different channels and creative approaches.
• Good understanding of financial services and the work of the FCA

Desirable

• Use of social media to achieve communication objectives
• Ability to craft persuasive and engaging speeches
• Effective budget management

The FCA’s Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator. We serve the public and our decisions directly affect the wellbeing of people, businesses and the UK economy. So, our values matter. They represent the culture we aspire to every day, guiding our judgements, building trust and helping us to be ‘At our best’.

The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of our organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups.

As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements, including job shares. Please inform your recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.

As part of the FCA’s on-going commitment to develop our national presence, most of our vacancies are now open to working in our Edinburgh, Leeds or London offices. This means that as part of the application process you will be able to select your preference of which office location you would like to work from.

Application Support

We want to remove any possible barriers and are committed to providing a wide range of reasonable adjustments so that you can keep the focus on your conversations and be at your best.

If you have an accessibility requirement, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter to discuss this further. Our aim is to make you application as easy as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible.

Conflicts of interest

All applicants to the FCA are required to demonstrate that they do not have other interests likely to conflict with their responsibilities as an employee of the FCA. You should declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process, and also disclose information or personal connections that, if appointed, might be open to misperception.

Any potential conflicts of interest will not prevent candidates going forward to interview but may, if appropriate, be explored during the interview to establish how the candidate would address the issue(s) should they be successful in their application.

Useful information

• The closing date for this role is at midnight on Wednesday 25 September.
• This role can be based in any of our office locations- London, Leeds, or Edinburgh
• Salary range for this role in London is £120k- £150k and National is £108k - £135k + benefits + up to 12% non-contributory pension
• Selection will be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment
• If successful, you will be required to obtain and retain SC Clearance.
• We operate a hybrid working policy with an expectation all colleagues are in the office a minimum of 40% of their time. We expect senior leaders to spend a minimum of 50% of their working time each month in the office.

Please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter.

For a conversation in confidence, please contact: tara.cassar@fca.org.uk