Job Title: Financial Lives survey Research Analyst

Division: Cross-Cutting Policy & Strategy

Department: Cross-Cutting Response, Research & Contracts

• Salary: National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £43,100 to £57,433 and London from £47,300 to £63,033 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

• This role is graded as: Associate Level 8 – Regulatory

• Your recruitment contact is Sartaj Deol via [email protected]. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.

• A 300-word Statement alongside your CV on why you are interested and suitable for this role.

About the FCA and team

We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth, and shaping the future of UK finance services.  

Strategy, Policy and Competition (SPC) oversees firms and individuals (supervision), creates and reviews the rules by which they operate (policy) and identifies and remedies ineffective competition in markets (competition).

Sitting in Cross-Cutting Policy & Strategy (CCPS) directorate, the FCA’s Market Research team provides vital consumer, firm and stakeholder insights that support regulatory decisions.

Role responsibilities

• Working across multiple workstreams for the Financial Lives survey (FLS) within a high-performing team, i.e. questionnaire development, survey script testing, sampling and recruitment, data tables specification, weighting, analysis and reporting

• Supporting senior stakeholders who specialise in retail financial sectors through notetaking at meetings and figure-checking reports, gaining the knowledge to become a trusted “number 2” on selected sectors and the market research expertise to deliver a large-scale survey

• Running analysis and producing slide deck reports on selected topics, building on your market research skills to develop the expertise in the delivery of a large-scale survey

• Supporting the team’s wider work for the FCA on ad hoc surveys and qualitative research, using your knowledge of market research

• Conducting bespoke surveys for areas within the FCA, shaping the regulatory approach by providing data-driven insights into consumer behaviour and potential harm

• Supporting the team on one or more of the ancillary FLS workstreams e.g. cognitive testing and qualitative research 

Skills required

Minimum:

• Prior experience in market research, at the FCA or with another a regulator, a government body, academia, or a market research agency

• Proven experience of quantitative research with consumers / general public, including script checking, working with survey data and data tables

• Demonstratable experience writing research reports to publication standard utilising excellent communication skills

Essential:

• Ability to research in specific retail financial sectors, or a demonstrable ability to upskill quickly. Sector experience of particular interest to us relates to pensions, consumer investments and/ or financial advice

• High attention to detail, with the ability and willingness to follow processes that ensure the quality and consistency of work across the team

• Willingness to work flexibly to help where and when needed across the team

• Strong communication skills with experience of reporting and presenting research findings

• A quick learner, who can build knowledge of financial services sectors and use this to support colleagues and, within 12-18 months, can take on managing work in particular financial sectors or topics

Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

• Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work

• Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary

• Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection, and 24/7 Employee Assistance

• 35 hours of paid volunteering annually

• A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle

​

For a full list of our benefits, and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.

Our values and culture

Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference, and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. 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.

If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support.

We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.

Disability confident: our hiring approach 

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes, we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.

Useful information and timelines

Timeline:

• Job advert close:  Sunday 30th November at 23:59pm

• CV Review/Shortlist: Monday 1st December

• First Interview: Commencing Thursday 11th December

• Second round shortlist: Thursday 18th December

• Second Interview: Week Commencing Monday 5th January

• Please note there are 2 positions available

• Please ensure you supply a cover letter alongside your CV in order to progress your application

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.