Strategic Executive Assistant to Director

Division
– Buy-Side

Salary
- National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £52,400 to £59,000 and London £57,700 to £65,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About The FCA
The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA.

The Buy Side Directorate is responsible for setting the supervisory strategy policy agenda and developing market insights for the asset management sector. We also drive the policy agenda for pensions. The Directorate covers all large and small investment asset managers, and fund services like custodians and transfer agents.

This is an Executive Assistant position supporting the Buy-Side Director as a strategic partner. You'll play a key role in enabling the Directorate to operate at pace, with focus, clarity and alignment across senior stakeholders.

This is not a traditional administrative support role, we're looking for someone who has operated at the centre of a leadership team, driving operational effectiveness, shaping internal and external communications, and supporting high-quality decision making.

What will you be doing?

• Reporting to the Director, the EA will support the directorate to ensure the directorate operates efficiently and effectively. We deliver key messages to external stakeholders consistently and are a reliable partner for internal stakeholders
• You will work directly with the Director and Heads of Department to support decision-making, shape directorate-wide messaging and ensure that leadership priorities are executed effectively
• Help monitor our operational effectiveness (e.g. meeting SLAs) and proactively seek out opportunities for improvement, with an external audience in mind
• Develop and maintain our risk framework to support with business planning
• Work closely and maintain a strong network with the CEO's and SPC Executive Director's Office and other Executive Assistants to share best practice and ensure consistency across the Division and the FCA

What will you get from the role?

• Strong insights into the asset management sector and our pension policy agenda
• A breadth of skills and experience that will support your personal development and will help you to develop and advance your career at the FCA
• Insight into a broad range of policy issues, domestically and internationally
• Insight into the management and strategic outlook of the FCA
• Autonomy and a chance to shape the role to make it "your own"
• An opportunity to build a strong network with senior management, as well as a variety of internal and external stakeholders

Which skills are required?
We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here)

Minimum

• Prior experience working within asset management or evidence of an understanding of asset management
• Experience of drafting written communication/briefings to be shared with senior stakeholders
• Significant experience working in partnership with Director or C-level leadership in a complex, environment and building effective relationships both within your own and other teams

Essential

• Good understanding – or an ability and willingness to learn quickly - how the FCA operates
• An ability to analyse and rapidly assimilate new information and understand complex issues to provide practical and constructive recommendations
• Verbal and written communication skills and the ability to adapt your approach to varied audiences
• Discretion, confidence, and composure when dealing with sensitive and complex situations, showing close attention to detail
• Tenacity to question and challenge all levels of the FCA (where appropriate) in a constructive and positive manner
• Flexibility and commitment to the role, including the ability to work well under pressure, and to short deadlines
• Interpersonal skills and an ability to establish, develop and maintain effective relationships with staff at all levels
• Organisational, prioritisation and time management skills, ability to keep on top of deadlines

Our Values & Diversity
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture 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.

Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions.

Did you know
? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university.

Benefits Of Working At The FCA

• 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time)
• 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

We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle.

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 can explore what might work best for both sides.

Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA

Application Support
We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible.

If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you.

Useful Information and Timeline

• This role is graded as Senior Associate – Regulatory
• Advert Closing Date: 19th October at 23:59pm
• CV Review/Shortlist: 22nd October
• Competency Based Interview: W/C 27th October

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.

Please note: This is not a traditional PA or admin role. If your experience is primarily focused on diary management, travel booking and general admin support, this role may not be the right fit.

Got a question?
If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact Raimonda Stankute at

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.