Senior Policy Adviser – Consumer Credit

2 weeks ago


Darlington, County Durham, United Kingdom HM Treasury Full time

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and balanced economic growth

About the Team


Personal Finances and Funds

The Personal Finances and Funds team (PFF) brings together the strategic oversight of the asset management, financial advice, consumer credit and debt advice sectors in the UK, with responsibility for the protection of consumers who use their products and services. The work is challenging, fast-paced and high profile, but it is also a friendly, encouraging and inclusive team – of around 20 people – with consistently high staff engagement. The team consists of three units:

  • The Consumer Credit Unit, which leads Government policy towards the £250 billion consumer credit market. The Unit has led on high profile policy over the last few years, including COVID-19 payment holidays, parts of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, a No Interest Loan Scheme pilot, and the regulation of Buy-Now Pay-Later products.
  • The Asset Management and High-Risk Investments Unit, which sets Government's strategy for the UK’s asset management industry to ensure it supports a competitive and innovative sector, but also ensures that riskier investments are only offered appropriately and to the right consumers.
  • The Financial Inclusion, Capability and Consumer Debt Unit which ensures that financial products and services are available and affordable to all, consumers are equipped to navigate them, and appropriately supported when they fall into debt.


About the Job

The successful candidate will:

  1. Lead on work to consider what different types of consumer credit activity should be subject to FCA regulation, and work with lawyers to develop the legislation that delivers any policy decisions. This includes detailed work in the high-profile area of Buy-Now Pay-Later regulation.
  2. Consider the provision of responsible credit for all consumers. Developing policy to overcome a number of market barriers that currently prevent many consumers from accessing small sums of credit at affordable rates.
  3. Develop the expertise to be able to credibly lead discussions within government on the UK consumer credit market. Engage credibly with senior partners and recognise new policy opportunities and risks.
  4. Line manage an HEO, ensuring that they have clear objectives and are supported in their development. In addition, the post-holder will be encouraged to input to broader leadership across the team, with the head of unit and other Range E, to help handle resource and work flexibly where priorities change.
  5. Engage clearly, both in writing and in person, with ministers and other senior colleagues on a range of issues relating to consumer credit.
  6. Form effective and collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners. From small community lenders and the civil society organisations that seek to support them, to a range of trade bodies who represent the large and diverse set of firms operational in consumer credit. As well as, key industry players and a range of colleagues at the Financial Conduct Authority who seek to regulate these firms.


About You

You don’t need to be a policy professional or have any specific qualifications to apply to work as a Policy Adviser at HM Treasury. We are looking for people who have the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrate the values of our organisation, and who are motivated to come and work with us on a range of issues that are at the heart of how we spend money and deliver public services.

The role will require the post-holders to work flexibly, supporting their unit to brief and support ministers in Parliamentary debates, providing advice on issues in their area of policy expertise as they arise, including drafting responses to ministerial correspondence and parliamentary questions.

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us a stronger organisation, better at developing policy that is reflective of the communities we serve. We embrace different views and experiences and value the fresh perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.


Some of the Benefits our people love

  • 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing you to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
  • Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, compressed hours).
  • Generous parental leave and adoption leave packages.
  • A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%
  • Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
  • A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
  • Access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal allowing you access to a range of discount codes for online shopping.
  • A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity




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