Senior Associate

Job title: Senior Insurance Associate

Division: Authorisations

Department: Banking and Insurance

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £71,000 and London from £57,700 to £78,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience) 

• This role is graded as:  Senior Associate - Regulatory

• Your recruitment contact is Cameron Nunn 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.   

The Authorisations Division serves as the initial point of contact for firms and individuals seeking to provide regulated financial services in the UK, making authorisation decisions to ensure applicants meet the FCA’s standards. 

In the Insurance Authorisations Team, you'll contribute to meaningful regulatory decisions across the UK Insurance sector plus the role offers opportunities to assess applications from life,  and general insurance, and Lloyd's market firms- both solo and dual-regulated.

Role responsibilities 

• Apply your knowledge across insurance markets - including life,  and general insurance and Lloyd’s markets - to interpret emerging trends and ensure regulatory decisions remain forward-looking and effective

• Manage your own portfolio of insurance cases, using sound judgement to navigate complex issues and work collaboratively with firms to reduce risks, ultimately enhancing outcomes for consumers across the market

• Shape gateway strategies for new insurers and intermediaries, playing a key role in shaping fair, risk-aware authorisation decisions that support a stable and trustworthy financial sector

• Assess applications with diligence and curiosity, identifying potential harms early and evaluating governance and control frameworks to provide timely, balanced and insightful recommendations

• Build strong, respectful relationships across the FCA and PRA, working together to deliver coherent, meaningful regulatory outcomes that reflect joined-up thinking

• Contribute to wider cross-organisation projects, communicating clearly with senior stakeholders and offering well-reasoned insight and support, even when discussions are complex or challenging

Skills required   

Minimum: 

• Prior experience analysing business models and identifying risks that may impact firms or their customers

• Demonstrable experience navigating the UK regulatory framework with confidence and attention to detail

• Prior experience building and sustaining professional relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders

Essential:  

• Ability to absorb and analyse information to make sound, risk-aware decisions

• Willingness to take initiative with the professional judgment to identify and address emerging issues

• Collaborative colleague who adjusts smoothly to planned changes and adopts new ways of working

• Skilled at managing competing priorities and delivering on tight deadlines

• Comfortable offering constructive challenge and contributing to senior-level discussions

• Clear and professional communicator, able to write effectively and present with impact

• Reliable time and workload management, with a focus on thoughtful prioritisation

• Able to navigate ambiguity and apply sound judgement in complex situations

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: Wednesday 25th February

• CV Review/Shortlist: Friday 27th February

• Interviews: W/C 2nd March and W/C 9th March

• 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.