Senior External Affairs Associate

The Devolved Nations Team is responsible for building and maintaining stakeholder networks across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, relaying key information, and assisting to influence policy. It also promotes the devolved perspective in the FCA's work across the UK.
What you will be doing (the role)
Internal responsibilities:

• Use information from networks across Wales and in the financial services environment and consumer landscape, and effectively interpret political developments in Wales


• Gather intelligence from internal networks, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and provide guidance to seniors and wider business on how to engage with stakeholders, ensuring that risks are considered at an early stage


• Act as a briefing function, working closely with the business and with Communications colleagues across the business to prepare senior management for Parliamentary meetings, Senedd Receptions; issue-specific meetings, etc


• In all aspects of the role, work closely with devolved nations / public affairs colleagues and, where appropriate, link with other areas of the organisation


External responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain an informed knowledge base on the Welsh financial services industry, consumer bodies, and others


• Build networks across the Welsh political environment and the wider public affairs world to gather intelligence, identify emerging risks and opportunities


• Attend external events/round tables/forums etc on behalf of the FCA devolved nations team


• Understand the FCA's priorities and key messages; use influencing skills to explain and promote these priorities to stakeholders both in-person and in writing


• Relationship-manage a portfolio of influential stakeholders. This will include: developing relationships with MSs their staff and other stakeholders; explaining FCA policy and action to politicians, their staff and other public affairs stakeholders; listening to the concerns of contacts and ensuring that intelligence is relayed to colleagues in the wider FCA and that the FCA responds appropriately; maintaining accurate records to ensure that we understand the priorities of politicians, their staff and other public affairs stakeholders; co-ordinate senior engagement with stakeholders (arranging meetings, producing briefings, etc)


What you will get from the role

• An opportunity to take on a high-profile, wide-ranging and interesting role which helps to ensure that the FCA is a regulator for the whole of the UK


• A unique chance to help shape financial regulation in Wales through stakeholder management and intelligence gathering


• An opportunity to engage with senior stakeholders from across different sectors including financial services, politics, consumer organisations and others


Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays


• Private healthcare with Bupa


• A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% of basic salary each month (there are several contribution levels that increase depending on your age - up to 12% a month once you reach age 35)


• Life assurance of eight times your basic salary


• Income protection


The skills and experience you will have
Minimum
We are a signatory to the Government's Disability Confident scheme. This means that we will offer an interview to disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role.

• Evidence of having a strong understanding of the political landscape and parliamentary procedures in Wales gained in a relevant environment such as public affairs consultancy, in-house public affairs function, UK Government in Wales, Welsh Senedd etc


• Experience in gathering of intelligence from multiple sources to identify risks and trends within the political environment, We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements. Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours, and job shares. We can't promise to give you exactly what you want but we won't judge you for asking., We want to remove any possible barriers and are committed to providing a wide range of reasonable adjustments so that you can keep the focus on your conversations and be at your best.

If you have an accessibility requirement, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter to discuss this further. Our aim is to make your application as easy and comfortable as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible.
Security Clearance/Vetting (as required)
The successful candidate will hold or will be required to obtain Security Clearance (SC) level vetting.
Please note that all applications must be submitted through our online portal, applications sent via email will not be accepted.
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• Able to work on a number of areas of complex policy simultaneously


• Experience of managing and influencing political and/or other senior stakeholders


• Experience of working with senior decision makers in an organisation


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills


• Sound judgement, effective decision making and personal accountability
  
  About the FCA

The FCA regulates the conduct of 50,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. We do this to make sure markets work well for individuals, businesses and the economy as a whole. For more information on what we do, our three-year strategy can be found
here.
The FCA's Values & Diversity
Our ambition is to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. 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.
We particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups.
Flexible working

Salary: National - ranging from £43,300 - £54,100
Do you want to join a diverse team responsible for developing stakeholder networks and representing the FCA across the devolved nations?
The team/ department