Payment Policy Lead Associate

Job Location: Leeds, Edinburgh and London

We have 2 lead associate roles available within our policy team. Depending on the background and interests of the candidate this could involve leading key elements of our account-to-account retail payments or cash & digital payments work.

Our account-to-account retail payments programme is looking at how to make direct account-to-account payments a realistic alternative to credit and debit cards in shops and for online purchases.

Using cash is still critical for many people. It remains important that people and business have good access to cash across the UK. We are working to ensure our regulatory role in cash aligns with our strategic objectives and upcoming legislation which will make the FCA the lead regulator for cash. It's important that cash is available for those that want to use it, but it's also important that, as cash use declines, digital payment solutions work for all of us. Our work on digital payments is designed to support the digital payments transition.

In each of these roles you will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary team and delivering policy thinking throughout the policy cycle. You will be responsible for ensuring your project aligns and drives forward the PSR's strategic goals.

Examples of the work you will do in this role are:

• Leading complex or high-profile PSR projects, involving multi-disciplinary teams and delivery of high-quality work, including coaching, mentoring and/or guidance for team members, as required.
• Support the development of team strategy and priorities (e.g. work approach, planning, prioritisation) and/or improvements in methodologies and practices, including helping to resolve highly technical issues and, in some cases, contribute to the technical leadership of the team.
• Maintain key internal and external stakeholder relationships, (e.g. Industry, HM Treasury, the Bank of England, international regulators, trade bodies, consumer representatives).
• Presentation of policy recommendations to PSR Executive Committee.

Minimum Criteria

• Previous experience of and/or clear demonstration of skills for leading analytical or policy teams in at least one of economic regulation; competition policy; financial markets; payment services or other regulated industries.
• Proven successful development and delivery of regulatory policy or ability to demonstrate a good understanding of the policy making process.

Essential Criteria

• Excellent project management and prioritisation skills, particularly in the context of working on complex projects and/or issues
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, including a proven ability to demonstrate such skills under pressure and within tight deadlines
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present confidently on complex issues to both internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, including a proven ability to build productive and constructive relationships with both internal and external senior-level stakeholders
• Excellent strategic awareness of issues relevant to the PSR's work and the environment in which the PSR operates.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of leading teams in the context of regulatory projects and familiarity with the analysis involved to deliver the evidence base for regulatory reforms
• An up-to-date understanding of the regulatory developments in the UK payments landscape and knowledge of the Payment Systems Regulator
• Familiarity with the key stakeholders in the UK payments landscape