Head of Compliance and Data Protection Officer

Head of Compliance and Data Protection Officer  

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.  

 Risk & Compliance Oversight (R&CO) is the FCA’s second line of defence. The Division works in partnership with Senior Management, members of the Board and colleagues across the organisation, providing challenge and insight to successfully manage internal and external risks to the delivery of the FCA’s strategy and business plan and, hence, its statutory and operational objectives.  

This is done by: 

• driving practical approaches to effective risk management across the organisation  

• delivering insight that is both valued and valuable  

• providing independent challenge that supports risk-conscious, considered decision making 

• embedding risk and compliance knowledge and awareness FCA-wide 

• promoting continuous improvement through regular reflection, root case analysis, quality assurance and lessons learned reviews. 

The Role   

The Head of Compliance and Data Protection Officer will be responsible for leading the FCA’s Compliance and Data Privacy Department, and reports to the Director of Risk,  Compliance and Data Privacy. They will hold the position of Data Protection Officer (DPO) for the FCA. The DPO is a legislative requirement under the GDPR, and the role holder is responsible for a number of statutory functions. 

What will the candidate get from the role?  

• You will join the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting and challenging time of great change in financial services and its regulation.  

• You will lead a critical function in changing times, but in return you will experience a high-profile role and be at the centre of many significant developments at the FCA.  

• You will gain exposure to not just senior stakeholders in the FCA, but in Government and fellow regulators. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Leading the Compliance function, including setting the strategic direction of the function and related standards of work, securing support from and engaging with the organisation at a senior level.  

• Leading the design and delivery of a pan-FCA compliance policy and controls testing framework, working with Policy owners at Executive and Director level as appropriate.  

• Leading and directing the operation of the Control Room on behalf of the FCA in relation to market sensitive information handling. 

• Creating a risk-based plan for an annual programme of compliance reviews. 

• Working with senior leaders and others across the business to drive continuous improvements across in the FCA in respect of enhanced compliance and professional standards.  

• Providing thought leadership in relation to a range of compliance matters across the FCA at a senior level. 

• Fulfilling the role of the FCA’s Data Protection Officer, leading the FCA's data privacy team in ensuring policies, standards, processes and practices are in line with GDPR requirements and independent Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance and best practice.  

• Advising the organisation at all levels about obligations to comply with UK GDPR. 

• Directing on the FCA’s response to data privacy events and reporting to the ICO as required. 

• Building relationships with key stakeholders in the Data Privacy community, including regulators and other relevant government bodies 

Skills/Experience Required   

The FCA are a signatory to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to 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.  For example, ‘Experience of employment law’ is measurable from looking at someone’s CV but ‘Knowledge of HR practices’ is not.’ 

Minimum   

• Deep knowledge and experience of the GDPR, with direct experience of managing data protection issues and matters, in a senior DP role, ideally having previously acted as deputy DPO or DPO  

• Demonstrable experience of running compliance functions, ideally in different environments 

Essential   

• Significant experience of managing and influencing key stakeholders, including senior decision makers internally and externally  

• Experienced leader, demonstrating the FCA’s key behavioural and management skills to develop and enhance the excellence, capabilities, competence, and deployment of staff within the team 

• Experience in the creation and management of compliance policies and monitoring processes 

Desirable  

• Detailed knowledge of compliance, ideally within a regulatory context 

• Knowledge of control room functioning 

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. 

Benefits  

Our competitive benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifecycle. You can this this allowance to purchase additional benefits such as dental or cycle to work, or you have the option to top up your base salary by taking this as cash. 

Core benefits that you will receive as standard are: 

• 30 days holiday per year plus bank holidays  

• Private healthcare with Bupa 

• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age- up to 12% a month once you reach age 35) 

• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary 

• Income protection 

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 close date for this role is 23:55 on Tuesday 6 May 2025 

• This role can be London, Edinburgh or Leeds based.  

• Salary range- London £135K to £180K, and National £122K to £162K.  

• 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.