Job Description

Head of Department, ResolutionStrategy, Operations and CASS (ReSOC)

About the FCA 

At the FCA,we’recreating a fair and more resilient financial system.We’reestablishingmore transparent relationships between financial services and customers, building trust in financialmarketsand protecting vulnerable consumers. 

We’recurrently on an exciting journey as we drive forward significant organisational, people, process, and technology transformation to become a more forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We will use data more effectively to drive better regulatory decisions and build greater cohesion across our broad financial services remit.  

Significant improvements in digital enablement, business intelligence, marketdataand information management maturity are all being pursued tomaintainour position as a world leader in financial services regulation. 

In March 2025, the FCA launched a new 5-year strategy to deepen trust, rebalance risk, support growth and improve lives. The FCA will focus on four priorities:

• Be a smarter regulator; predictable,purposefuland proportionate. The FCA will improve its processes and embrace technology to become more efficient and effective.

• Support sustained economic growth, by enabling investment, innovation and ensuring the continued competitiveness of the UK’s world-leading financial services.

• Help consumers navigate their financial livesby working with industry to boost trust, product innovation and ensuring the right information and support is available for people to take financial decisions.

• Fight financial crime, focusing on those whoseekto use the fact they are regulated to do harm. It will go further to disrupt criminals and support firms to be an effective line of defence.

The Role  

An exciting opportunity has arisen to take on the role of Head of Resolution Strategy, Operations and CASS (ReSOC).

ReSOCsits within the Specialist Directorate and leads the FCA’s work to mitigate the risk of consumer harm arising from inadequate client assets arrangements across FCA-regulated firms. The departmentis responsible forstrengthening the regulatory framework for CASS and resolution, supervising firms with CASS permissions, and providing operational insight and data-led analysis toidentifyemerging risks.

ReSOCsupervises firms across 26 portfolios, which collectively hold approximately £200bn in client money and £19tn in client assets. The department works closely with Supervision and other Specialist teams as well as external stakeholders.

What will the candidate get from the role? 

• Joining the Senior Leadership Team at the FCA during an exciting and challenging time ofgreat changein financial services and its regulation 

• Leading adepartmentof talented and committed people through significant projects whilst also delivering on business-as-usual objectives 

• Exposure to strategic issues and key players in the world of finance, both nationally and internationally 

Key responsibilities: 

• Lead and inspire a high-performing, multidisciplinary department responsible for CASS strategy,operationsand supervision, ensuring risks to client assets and consumers are effectivelyidentifiedand mitigated.

• Provide strategic and technical leadership on CASS and client assets issues, including ownership of the CASS Sourcebook and authoritative advice on its application for supervising firms subject to CASS.

• Lead the FCA’s work to strengthen the regulatory and legislative framework relating to client assets and resolution, including delivery of key strategic initiatives.

• Oversee the department’s operational risk identification function, ensuring high-quality analysis of CMAR data, CASS audits, breachnotificationsand other intelligence.

• Drive implementation of the department’s delivery plan, including ongoing operational and supervisory improvements.

• Lead on performance,capabilityand culture, ensuring the department has the skills, capacity and leadershiprequiredto deliver itsobjectives

• Deliver outcomes through others by building strong relationships and using effective coaching,influencingand negotiation skills.

• Maintain strong cross-FCA and external stakeholder relationships to support crisis preparedness and firm failure outcomes. 

Skills/Experience Required  

We’reproud to be aDisability Confident Employer, and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet theminimumcriteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high applicationvolumeswe may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements. (To learn more about the Disability Confident SchemeClick Here)

Minimum  

• Significant experienceof managing and influencing key stakeholders, including senior decision makers internally and externally.

• In-depth experience of client assets arrangements ordemonstratinga keen desire to deepen existing experience.

• Significant experiencein leading teams through fast paced,difficultand complex situations and good judgement under pressure.

• Strong ability to build and deepen relationships across a wide ranging internal and external landscape.

 Essential  

• Strong communicationskills, both written and oral (ability to convey complex issues in a coherent, logical, and compelling way, including communicating technical or legal issues to non-specialist audiences).

• Exceptionally strong judgement, supported by highly developed analytical skills andhigh levelsof diligence; candemonstratemaking challenging, risk-based decisions in a complex and changing regulatory landscape.

• An ability to get up to speed onnew issuesquickly and innovative thinking for how to deal with new complex problems most effectively.

• Experience of role modelling strong leadership behaviours in line with organisational values.

• The ability to inclusively lead a group of talented individuals with a wide variety of professionalexpertise, experience, and backgrounds.

• An open and flexible management style and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide-ranging audience with different skills and perspectives.

• The job holder willbe requiredto obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance.

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 serve the public and our decisions directly affect the wellbeing of people,businessesand the UK economy.  So, our valuesmatter. Theyrepresentthe culture we aspire to every day, guiding our judgements, buildingtrustand helping us to be ‘At our best’.

The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of our organisation. Given this,we particularly welcome applications from women, disabled, and minority ethnic candidates, as under-represented groups.

As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements, including job shares. Please inform your recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.

As part of the FCA’s on-going commitment to develop our national presence, most of our vacancies are now open to working in our Edinburgh,Leedsor London offices. This means that as part of the application process you will be able to select your preference of which office location you would like to work from.

Application Support

We want to remove anypossible barriersand are committed toprovidinga wide range of reasonable adjustments so that you can keep the focus on your conversations and be at your best.

If you have an accessibility requirement, disability, or condition that means you might require changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter to discuss this further. Our aim is to make you application as easy as possible, and your recruiter will be happy to work with you to make any necessary arrangements where possible.

Benefits

Our competitive benefits scheme gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifecycle. You canthisthis allowance topurchaseadditionalbenefits such as dental or cycle to work, or you have the option to top up your base salary by taking this as cash.

Core benefits that you will receive as standard are:

• 30 days holiday per year plus bank holidays

• 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

Conflicts of interest 

All applicants to the FCAare required todemonstratethat they do not have other interests likely to conflict with their responsibilities as an employee of the FCA. You should declare any potential conflict of interest as early as possible in the selection process,and alsodiscloseinformation or personal connections that, if appointed, might be open to misperception.  

Any potential conflicts of interestwill not prevent candidates going forward to interview but may, ifappropriate, be explored during the interview toestablishhow the candidate would address the issue(s) should they be successful in their application.  

Useful information 

• The closing date for this role is 23:55 on31stMay.

• Selectionwill be via a two-stage interview and psychometric assessment  

• If successful, you willbe requiredto obtain andretainSC Clearance.  

• We currentlyoperatea hybrid working model, working a minimum of 40% in the office each month (50% for senior leaders). This way of working applies in our Stratford,Leedsand Edinburgh officesFrom September 2026, FCA employees willbe requiredto spend a minimum of 50% of their working time in the office. Our Executive Director and Directors will be expected to be in a minimum of 60% per month.

• The salary range for the role isbetween £135,000 and £170,000forLondon, and£121,500and £153,000nationally.

• To apply pleasesubmityour CV and cover letter.

The FCA hasretainedOdgers to advise on this appointment

To applypleasesubmityour CV and cover letter using thislink -www.odgers.com/95998

For a conversation in confidence, please contact: Anne Murphy Anne.murphy@odgers.comor Hannah Wade hannah.wade@odgers.com

If you are unable to applyonlineplease email: Gabrielle.newton@odgers.com