Job title: Operational and Cyber Resilience Lead
Division: Supervision, Policy and Competition
Department: Technology, Resilience and Cyber
Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £60,700 to £80,766 and London £66,600 to £88,666 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
This role is graded as: Lead Associate, Regulatory
Your external recruitment contact is Shafika via [email protected]
Your internal recruitment contact is Isabelle via [email protected]
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 within the Specialist Directorate, our Technology, Resilience and Cyber (TRC) department works with financial firms to improve the resilience of their systems against cyber threats and operational disruptions -helping protect consumers, safeguard markets, and build trust in the technology that powers financial services.
Role responsibilities
Act as the Operational Resilience expert, providing trusted advice and guidance across the team, wider department and the FCA, helping shape regulatory thinking and support resilient outcomes across the sector
Manage strategic engagement with portfolio supervision teams, building close partnerships that shape supervisory priorities and ensure technology, resilience and cyber risks are effectively understood and managed
Perform assessments of large firms, delivering forward looking, evidence based insights that enable supervisors to make informed decisions and identify where further action is needed to enhance firms’ technology, resilience and cyber capabilities
Conduct the analysis of significant cyber and technology incidents, uncovering key insights, identifying systemic risks and helping shape regulatory responses that enhance market resilience
Own and deliver high profile thematic initiatives, coordinating activity across teams and working with others to deliver meaningful results on complex technology and resilience challenges.
Represent the FCA in technical discussions with senior industry stakeholders and partner authorities, building credibility, building relationships and contributing to broader resilience objectives across the financial sector
Conduct market-wide analysis and peer benchmarking, assessing firms' technology and cyber maturity to identify trends, highlight leading practices and support evidence-based regulatory decision-making
Coach, mentor and develop colleagues, sharing knowledge and providing constructive feedback to build capability, improve performance and promote a culture of continuous learning
Skills required
Minimum:
Prior experience analysing complex information and making judgements based on this
Demonstrable experience identifying and presenting recommendations to stakeholders, in relation to technology and cyber resilience capabilities
Essential:
Demonstrated experience in inspiring, motivating, and leading effective teams and stakeholders to achieve shared objectives
Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex concepts clearly and effectively to diverse audiences
Solid understanding of widely used technology, cybersecurity frameworks, standards, and best practice guidance, with the ability to apply these within a business context
Knowledge of, or experience within, the Wholesale, Retail, or Insurance sectors, with an appreciation of the associated business, regulatory, and risk environments
Highly analytical with strong problem solving capabilities, exercising sound judgement and attention to detail; focused on delivering high-quality work and maintaining the highest professional standards
Relevant industry qualifications e.g. CRISC, CISM, CISSP, IS027001 / 2Lead Auditor/Implementer or alternatives
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
Advert Close Date: 18th August 2026
CV Review/Shortlist: 20th August 2026
First Interview and Case Study Assessment: W/C 31st 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.
SC Clearance is required for this role (SC Guidance) - you will hold or will be required to obtain Security Check (SC) level vetting
The FCA regulates the conduct of 50,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. We do this to make sure markets work well for individuals, businesses, and the economy as a whole. For more information on what we do, our three-year strategy can be found here.
Working inclusively
We work best when we work together. We encourage our people to contribute fully and feel valued, to be innovative and creative by collaborating in an inclusive culture.
We're also committed to reflecting the diverse lived experiences of the communities we work in and the consumers we protect. We have a strategy to achieve a more diverse and inclusive workplace that is free from discrimination. This includes increasing the representation of women in our senior team to 50% and minority ethnic colleagues to 25% by 2025 – representative of the UK population.
We were recently voted 'Employer of the year' at the Women in Finance awards and our commitment to LGBT+ inclusion means we're recognised as a Stonewall Top 100 employer.
Flexible Working
We believe that giving our people greater flexibility fosters an inclusive culture and a healthy work-life balance.
We currently operate a hybrid working model, working up to 40% in the office each month (50% for senior leaders). This way of working applies in our Stratford, Leeds and Edinburgh offices.
We also offer career and family leave provisions, generous annual leave so you can take time off when you need or want to, and a range of other benefits.
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Programme for parents returning to work after Parental Leave? |
We don’t have a formal programme, but we have hired several Returners through the assisted hiring route (working with Women Returners)
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Leadership development programmes? |
Yes – we are launching a female progression programme |
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Mentoring programmess? |
Yes |
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Coaching programmes? |
No |
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Employee-led diversity networks? |
Yes |
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Internal women’s networking groups? |
No |
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Open to discussing flexible work arrangements at interview stage? |
Yes |
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No. of weeks paid maternity leave at full salary: |
52
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Minimum weeks tenure required to be eligible for paid maternity leave: |
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No. of weeks paid paternity leave at full salary: |
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Minimum tenure required to be eligible for paid paternity leave: |
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Gender pay gap reporting information (2024) |
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Average pay gap: |
12.2 % |
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Median pay gap: |
11.5 % |
| For more information visit - FCA pay gap data 2024 | FCA | |
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Signatory of the UK Women in Finance Charter? |
Yes |
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Targets to raise the number of women in leadership? |
Yes – 50% female target across all pipeline roles |
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Targets to raise the number of BAME individuals in leadership? |
Yes |
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Listed in the Bloomberg Diversity & Inclusion Index? |
No |