Senior Associate Assistant Private Secretary to the Executive Director of Authorisations

Job Title: Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to either the Executive Director (ED) of Authorisations or the Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

Division: Authorisations/Operations  

• Salary: London from £59,200 to £75,000 per annum (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)  

• This role is graded as: Senior Associate – Regulatory   

• Your external recruitment contact is Benjamin 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 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. 

There are 2 roles available in this recruitment round: one in the Authorisations Division as an APS to the Executive Director of Authorisations, and one in Operations as an APS to the Chief Operating Officer. 

Both roles offer the opportunity to act as the second-in-command in the Private Office, reporting to the Private Secretary and working closely with them to ensure the smooth running of the office. You will play a key role in the effective running of the Private Office, ensuring the relevant senior leader is well briefed and supported for meetings, committees and events, and contributing to the smooth coordination and delivery of priorities across the division. 

Role 1: Senior Associate Assistant Private Secretary to the Executive Director of Authorisations 

You will play a key role in a close-knit, high-performing team supporting the Executive Director of Authorisations and the effective running of the Authorisations ED Office. The role is stretching, fast-paced and varied, offering a unique opportunity to engage with the breadth of work undertaken across the Authorisations Division and the wider FCA. You will also gain exposure to strategic decision-making and senior stakeholders, both inside and outside the organisation. 

The Authorisations Division plays a central role in ensuring that firms and individuals seeking to conduct regulated activities meet, and are set up to continue to meet, the FCA’s standards. The division is also delivering an ambitious transformation strategy, focused on digitising the gateway and making better use of data to improve applicant experience, regulatory effectiveness and operational resilience. The ED Office supports the delivery of these priorities by helping to align activity across the division, support effective governance and decision-making, and connect senior leadership with delivery teams. As part of the Authorisations senior leadership environment, you will be expected to contribute proactively to the division’s priorities and help drive continuous improvement in how the office operates. 

Role 2: Senior Associate Assistant Private Secretary to the Chief Operating Officer 

You will play a key role in a close-knit team supporting the COO and the running of the COO Office. The COO APS has a unique opportunity to engage with the broad breadth of work undertaken by the Operations Division and the wider FCA. You will also gain insight into strategic decision-making and high-level decisions taken by senior leaders in the organisation. 

The Chief Operating Officer’s Office plays a central role in enabling the organisation to operate effectively and efficiently. It provides strategic and operational support across key business areas, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and regulatory obligations. The department oversees core functions such as business planning, risk management, performance reporting, and operational delivery. It acts as a bridge between senior leadership and delivery teams, helping to drive continuous improvement, operational resilience, and organisational effectiveness. 

Role responsibilities  

• Prepare high-quality briefings for senior-level meetings, and review, question and advise on the development of committee papers 

• Support the prioritisation and delivery of the relevant senior leader’s external engagement, including drafting and coordinating briefings and providing on-the-day support at events  

• Attend meetings with, and at times on behalf of the Private Secretary, ensuring clear capture of key points and actions  

• Manage follow-up on actions for the relevant senior leader, work closely with Business Partners, Heads of Department, Directors and other Private Offices to ensure timely delivery  

• Draft and coordinate a range of communications on behalf of the relevant senior leader, ensuring clarity, accuracy and alignment with strategic messaging  

• Ensure the Division is appropriately informed of key issues and developments, and escalating matters at pace where required  

Skills required   

Minimum:  

• Experience supporting senior leaders and preparing briefings, papers or communications

• Experience working in a demanding office, regulatory, policy, project, delivery or similar environment

• Experience coordinating multiple priorities and delivering work through a range of stakeholders to tight deadlines

Essential:  

• Ability to quickly assimilate information from a range of sources, understand context and implications, and identify emerging issues  

• Well-developed organizational, prioritization, and time management skills, with the ability to manage a demanding workload and deliver high-quality outputs to tight deadlines

• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and tailor messaging to different audiences

• Effective stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across a range of internal and external stakeholders 

• Demonstrated ability to engage professionally and effectively with senior stakeholders 

• Understanding of financial services regulation, the FCA's remit and the broader regulatory environment

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism

• Strong personal integrity and sound judgement, particularly when managing complex or sensitive matters 

Benefits  

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays  

• 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)  

• 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 & 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  

• Advert Closing: 19th August (Midnight)  

• CV Review/Shortlist: 21 August  

• First Stage Interviews W/C: 24th August (There may be a case study within the interview process)  

• Second Stage interview W/C: 31st August   

• 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 or DV level vetting