Lead Associate – Payment Systems Supervision

Job title: Lead Associate - Payment Systems Supervision
Division: PSR - Payment Systems Market Interventions (PSMI)

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £60,700 to £80,000 and London from £66,600 to £88,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

• This role is graded as: Lead Associate - Regulatory

• Your external recruitment contact is Raimonda via [email protected]

• Your internal recruitment contact is Katie via [email protected]

• Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.

 About the PSR and team 

Every time anyone uses a cash machine, transfers money, uses contactless, or gets paid, they use a payment system. Payment systems are always evolving and the PSR is here to make sure they work well for everyone. Follow this link to find out more About The PSR.

The PSR is an independent economic regulator led by interim Managing Director, David Geale – who is also FCA Executive Director, Payments and Digital Finance. Operationally the PSR is currently an independent subsidiary of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however in March 2025 the Prime Minister announced that the PSR would be consolidated into the FCA, a pragmatic next step in simplifying regulation of payments.

This transition will likely take some time and will follow a Government consultation, although the Government has already been clear that payment systems must continue to be effectively regulated. For the time being, therefore, the PSR continues to focus on delivering its important and impactful programme of work, collaborating closely with the FCA.

Through active monitoring and supervision and enforcement, we help maintain confidence in the payment systems used every day.

The Payment Systems Market Interventions (PSMI) Division ensures compliance with the PSR’s regulatory requirements and works to improve outcomes for payment system users by addressing poor practice and emerging risks.

We are recruiting a Lead Associate to join our Supervision team. This senior role combines ownership of complex supervisory casework with leadership responsibilities across the team’s wider portfolio.

Working closely with the Manager, Supervision, you will help deliver the supervision strategy, ensuring the effective progression of cases and a consistent approach across payment systems. The team supervises participants that access designated payment systems, including Faster Payments, LINK, Visa and Mastercard, as well as any systems designated to the PSR or FCA following legal cutover. These participants include payment service providers, banks and infrastructure providers.

The Supervision team is expected to transfer into the FCA when new legislation takes effect. As consolidation progresses, responsibilities and ways of working may evolve. If you have any questions, please contact the Resourcing Partner.

This is an excellent opportunity to shape the future of payment systems supervision during a period of significant organisational change as the PSR consolidates into the FCA.

Role responsibilities

• Acting as lead across the Supervision team’s casework, supporting strategic oversight, prioritisation and progression of supervisory cases

• Managing and leading complex supervisory relationships with a portfolio of different participants in payment systems

• Supporting the Manager of Supervision with development and delivery of the overall supervision strategy, including identification of emerging risks and areas of focus

• Championing innovation and continuous improvement in supervisory practice, including development of tools, approaches and ways of working

• Providing coaching, guidance and informal mentoring to colleagues across the team, supporting development, consistency and collaboration

• Building and maintaining a deep understanding of supervised firms, the environments they operate in and the strategic and operational risks they pose

• Supporting senior colleagues in the transition of payment systems supervision into the FCA’s supervision framework, including new ways of working, governance and engagement models

• Promoting a culture of collaboration, inclusion and learning within the Supervision team, acting as a role model for PSR values and behaviours

Skills required

Minimum:

• Demonstrated experience in supervision, monitoring or regulatory relationship management roles within a regulator or regulated environment

• Experience of operating with significant internal and external influence, including engagement with senior stakeholders

• Ability to analyse complex information, identify key issues and produce clear, well-reasoned written outputs, including contribution to strategic assessments

Essential:

• A solid understanding of supervision and its role in delivering effective, proportionate regulation

• Demonstrable experience of leading or coordinating complex regulatory or supervisory casework, including through periods of change or organisational transition

• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, on complex issues

• Sound judgment, decision-making capability and professionalism when working on sensitive or high-profile issues

• Well-developed organisation and planning skills, along with the ability to manage both long-term work and daily priorities

• Experience of leading casework or project-based teams in achieving good regulatory outcomes

• Experience of economic regulation, competition policy or payments related public policy

• Line management experience

• Knowledge of the payments sector or another regulated industry

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

• 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

• Hybrid model where employees work a minimum of 40% in the office each month (expectation of 50% for senior leaders). Changing from September to a minimum of 50% in the office each month (expectation of 60% for Directors and Executive Directors) 

• 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 closes: Midnight, 10 August 2026

• CV Review/Shortlist: 12 August 2026

• Interview: w/c 17 August 2026

• 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.