Lead Policy Advisor - Wholesale Cryptoasset Policy

Job Title: Wholesale Cryptoasset Policy - Lead Associate

Locations: London / Leeds / Edinburgh (Hybrid Working)

Salary: National up to £69,000 and London up to £76,600 per annum

Salary offered will be based on skills and experience

Are you interested in joining a team that will help shape and deliver the future of digital assets policy in wholesale markets at the FCA?

The Role

We are looking to fill a Lead Associate role in the newly formed Wholesale Cryptoasset Policy team. The core areas the team focusses on are: developing a market abuse regime suited to crypto assets, considering appropriate disclosure standards for cryptoassets as well as policies regarding trading, execution and settlement.

You will join a dedicated team of policy professionals who are focused on shaping creative and evidence-based policy solutions that benefit consumers, markets and competition. We work collaboratively to solve problems and flexibly to delivery market integrity. We are committed to sharing our knowledge and encouraging new ideas.

Our actions are driven by the Cryptoasset Taskforce created by HMT in 2018 as well as market developments and our greatest challenge at present is to design a more comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto to help shape the future of this diverse, fast-paced, and ever-changing sector.

As financial markets in crypto and digital assets develop and mature, entering the comprehensively regulated world of wholesale markets, regulators also need to innovate and adapt our regulatory framework to deal with new and evolving opportunities and challenges.

The Capital Markets Department within the Supervision, Policy and Competition Division at the FCA is at the forefront of developing policy solutions in the wholesale markets, considering new policy tools within the evolving UK legal and regulatory framework and working with international partners to meet the FCA's core objective of market integrity. We are at the forefront of delivering the FCA s three year strategy in particular promoting competition and positive change.

What you will be doing

• Supporting the Manager in overseeing the activity of the team. This might include leading and overseeing development of policy proposals, and the communication of these proposals externally. Helping to motivate and set direction, allocating and tracking delivery of tasks and pushing forward high-quality performance.
• Line managing 2/3 associates, coaching and developing members of the team and sharing knowledge actively across the team.
• Influencing and developing the team and department's strategy, helping to define priority outcomes and measures of success
• Applying creativity and innovation to helping to develop policy solutions for the challenges created by the introduction of new actors and products in the wholesale markets
• Help create and communicate a vision for a long-term outcome for regulating the UK wholesale crypto market;
• Work with others across the FCA to harness expertise and knowledge from other departments, including those working in retail crypto policy as well as those in Enforcement and Market Oversight and Wholesale Supervision.
• Help manage relationships with a diverse range of external stakeholders in this field
• Engage effectively with key internal and other regulatory stakeholders, including international regulators, HM Treasury, PRA, Bank and our independent panels, to communicate FCA policy views, influence others and manage key relationships.

This role is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of policy in the FCA in a new and evolving area of policy. The role is best suited to those who are interested in working in a fast-paced, flexible environment.

The skills and experience you'll have

Minimum

• Knowledge and experience of working in a regulatory/public policy role related to financial markets (i.e. MiFID, MAR, UCITs, etc.) or
• A proven working understanding and/or application of financial services regulation (i.e. MiFID, MAR, UCITs, etc.) to financial market activities
• Experience of leading complex pieces of work in a project-based approach
• Experience in applying analytical skills and judgement, whether gained in industry, research, economics, insight or policy work

Essential

• Demonstrable leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively and act as a role model
• Experience of exercising judgement in complex situations
• A collaborative approach and ability to think creatively about new and emerging regulatory issues
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to:
• Distil complex issues into succinct messages; and
• Draft reports and present recommendations confidently to a variety of internal and external stakeholders

• Experience of stakeholder management and influencing effectively, and
• Good self-management skills to plan and drive forward work to meet deadlines, while also having the flexibility to change priorities when required

Desirable

• Good understanding of crypto markets and how they function
• Potential experience of working in wholesale markets, or prior regulatory roles providing exposure to wholesale market participant