Consumer Finance Associates

The Role
- Are you interested in work which is dynamic, high impact and makes a real difference to people’s lives?
- We have a number of opportunities for associates to join the Consumer Finance team at the FCA offering the chance to make a real difference to the 40 million consumers of financial products and the stability of our economy as a whole.
- We are looking for a number of talented and inquisitive people, at associate level, based in our Scotland, Leeds and London offices.

What does the role involve?

You will join one of the high-performing teams in Consumer Finance to help drive improvements for consumers at a time of considerable change in the UK financial sector including helping tackle the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.

Consumer Finance manages the FCA’s regulatory oversight of diverse range of firms including, credit cards, motor finance, credit brokers, high-cost credit, mortgage intermediaries, debt managers, credit unions, retail finance, and others too.

Our priority is to ensure consumer interests are central to the firms within each of our portfolios. Our work aims to reduce harm to consumers, and we want borrowers to be

treated fairly and be able to get affordable products that meet their needs.

Roles include:
- Working directly with firms, looking closely at their conduct/business models to ensure fair treatment of consumers- Project roles where you’d be working in teams involved in assessing specific consumer harms that exist in the markets, we oversee

The roles will give you the opportunity to build excellent stakeholder, investigative and project management skills, taking action that improves the way firms in Consumer Finance operate ultimately delivering better outcomes for consumers.

We aim to make markets work better and to stop and prevent serious misconduct that results in harm. The FCA is transforming to achieve these goals - investing in new technology and making better use of data, supporting our people and changing our culture. We also work in partnership with other organisations in the UK and globally.

Key responsibilities- Review and analyse information and data collected from firms to help assess a firms’ business model and identify risks that could cause harm to consumers- Support our work in suggesting ways to solve problems identified within firms and the wider credit markets- Draft clear and concise correspondence to firms and internal stakeholders- Develop constructive working relationships with colleagues and communicate effectively with team members about the progress of tasks- Ensure internal record management systems are up to date and compliant with our protocols- Contribute to the continuous improvement of internal processes by suggesting changes that result in better outcomes and efficient use of resources

Skills/Experience Required

Minimum- Experience of assessing and analysing information- Strong communication skills: you will need to demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively with a diverse audience

Essential- Experience of prioritising your workload, managing your time effectively and using sound judgement to achieve results in a high-pressure environment- Strong sense of accountability: you should be able to demonstrate that you take ownership of problems and drive forward pragmatic action-based solutions- Experience of building and managing relationships with stakeholders

Desirable- Retail Lending/Consumer Finance experience and/or general financial services experience.- Experience of identifying the business model, financial or regulatory risks posed by firms, the consumer harms which might result from these risks and appropriate tools for mitigation.- An understanding and experience of dealing with issues impacting consumers in vulnerable circumstances- Experience of the regulatory framework including handbook rules and guidance

About the FCA

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and their customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.

The FCA's Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator. We welcome applicants from a wide range of backgrounds.

About the FCA

At the FCA, we’re creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We’re establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and their customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.

The FCA's Values & Diversity

Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator.

Useful Information- This role is graded as Associate - Regulatory- Applications for this role close on 4th December

The FCA has a national role and is committed to a national footprint. This role can