Legal Director, Deputy General Counsel

Financial Conduct Authority
Legal Director, Deputy General Counsel

There are few institutions where you can make a real difference to the two million people who work in the UK Financial Services industry, the 40 million consumers of financial products and the stability of our economy.

From regulating consumer credit to driving action on foreign exchange manipulation, or helping strengthen accountability in the banking sector, the FCA is working with the industry to protect consumers, ensure the integrity of the UK financial system, and promote fair and effective competition. Their remit has expanded significantly since their creation in 2013, with the number of firms they regulate growing from 23,000 to over 60,000.

The role 
The FCA is undergoing a major transformation driving significant organisational, people, data, process, and technology change. The newly created Legal Division is at the heart of these changes, working with teams across the entire organisation to deliver the FCA’s objectives: to protect consumers, ensure market integrity, and promote competition. 

The Legal Director, Deputy General Counsel is a newly created role at the FCA. This is as a result of the creation of a single legal function, headed by Stephen Braviner-Roman, the General Counsel. This brings together the General Counsel Division and the Legal Group, which currently sits within Enforcement and Market Oversight, into a single unified legal division, ensuring joined-up legal capability working across the organisation. 

This new appointee will join Stephen’s talented and collaborative group, committed to ensuring the FCA delivers on its objectives with pace and proactivity. They will play a key role in supporting Stephen in bringing this newly integrated function together, also providing strong leadership and support to the executive leadership team and the Board.  

In addition, the successful applicant will be expected to play an active part in developing and delivering the wider FCA legal strategy and supporting organisational transformation, including supporting our diversity and inclusion objectives. The successful applicant will also lead on consider and implementing new ways of working, including greater use of legal technology and other tools to enhance the provision of legal advice.

The FCA is under constant scrutiny and at a point of change; they require a Deputy General Counsel with a progressive approach to what is a highly technical and complex regulatory environment. This needs to be balanced with a pragmatic and commercial approach.

The individual
Skills and experience should include: 

• Role model strong leadership and management behaviours in line with the FCA values and capabilities, embedding the Mission and delivering organisational priorities.
• Thought leader, with experience leading technical teams and developing a culture of inclusivity. 
• Professional experience; providing legal advice, up to board level, for organisations with an international remit.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills: with the ability to influence and gain the trust of the board, peers, wider colleagues within the FCA and externally.
• Ability to provide robust challenge and constructive challenge and support.
• A true business partner, working in collaboration across a complex organisation with an international remit.
• High level of personal resilience.
• Innovative thinker, open to utilising the benefits of technology to improve decision making across the function.
• Ability to attract a strong, diverse, talent pool to the FCA, including diversity of thought.

The FCA’s ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society the FCA serves, helping the FCA to be a better regulator. The FCA particularly welcomes applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups.

For further information, and to apply, please click the apply button.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Wednesday 7 June 2023