Payments Policy Technical Specialist

Payments Policy Technical Specialist

Department - Policy

Salary - London only ranging from £79,300 to £120,00 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About the PSR

Every time anyone uses a cash machine, transfers money, uses contactless, or gets paid, they use a payment system. Payment systems are always evolving and the PSR is here to make sure they work well for everyone. Follow this link to find out more

About The PSR


The PSR is an independent economic regulator led by interim Managing Director, David Geale - who is also FCA Executive Director, Payments and Digital Finance. Operationally the PSR is currently an independent subsidiary of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however in March 2025 the Prime Minister announced that the PSR would be consolidated into the FCA, a pragmatic next step in simplifying regulation of payments. This transition will likely take some time and will follow a Government consultation, although the Government has already been clear that payment systems must continue to be effectively regulated. For the time being, therefore, the PSR continues to focus on delivering its important and impactful programme of work, collaborating closely with the FCA.

The Policy team drives delivery of our strategy, providing you with an exciting opportunity to work on different aspects of policy development and analysis, project delivery and stakeholder engagement.

The policy projects you may be involved in include: authorised push payment scams; and work we are undertaking with the Bank of England to upgrade Faster Payments and Bacs and assess the UK’s long-term retail infrastructure needs as part of the Government’s National Payments Vision.

What will you be doing?- To provide advice to the PSR about the UK’s interbank payment systems (the Faster Payments System and Bacs) to help shape policymaking at the PSR- Providing expert advice and industry insight on strategic, commercial, operational and technical aspects of payments and payment systems to support the Policy division- Clearly articulating complex matters in a straightforward manner to non-technical stakeholders; including contributing to and reviewing written documents both for internal governance decisions and external publication- Engaging with a network of industry and other external stakeholders to keep abreast of developments in the payment ecosystem, and working with key stakeholders to promote out objectives, such as the payments industry, the Bank of England, HM Treasury and other regulators- Representing the PSR in external meetings and conference, including through giving presentations and sitting on panels- Developing and delivering internal training modules and teach-ins to support colleagues’ development

What will you get from the role?- To provide advice to the PSR about the UK’s interbank payment systems (the Faster Payments System and Bacs) to help shape policymaking at the PSR- Providing expert advice, challenge and industry insight on strategic, commercial, operational and technical aspects of payments and payment systems to support the Policy division- Clearly articulating complex matters in a straightforward manner to non-technical stakeholders; including contributing to and reviewing written documents both for internal governance decisions and external publication- Engaging with a network of industry and other external stakeholders to keep abreast of developments in the payment ecosystem, and working with key stakeholders to promote out objectives, such as the payments industry, the Bank of England, HM Treasury and other regulators- Representing the PSR in external meetings and conference, including through giving presentations and sitting on panels- Developing and delivering internal training modules and teach-ins to support colleagues’ development

Which skills are required?

We are Disability Confident; 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

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Minimum- Proven and Prior experience of the operation and use of interbank payment systems, the services they support and rely upon, and their participants- Prior experience of payment technology (e.g. encryption, Fintech providers and propositions, use of payments APIs, Open-banking, AI)- Prior experience in the UK payments industry, and knowledge of key stakeholders

Essential- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of conveying complex legal and regulatory concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences- Possesses a strong technical understanding of payment systems and infrastructure, enabling effective analysis, troubleshooting, and support of end-to-end payment processes- An ability to understand complex and technical concepts, form well-judged conclusions and explain those in a way accessible t