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Lawyers, General Counsel's Division

Employer
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
Location
London (Greater)
Salary
£Competitive
Closing date
31 Mar 2019

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Lawyers, General Counsel's Division (GCD)

Location   London

Division   General Counsel

The Role   Lawyers, General Counsel's Division (GCD)

We are looking for talented Associate Lawyers (newly qualified to 4 years’ PQE) and Senior Associate Lawyers (minimum 4 years’ PQE).

The General Counsel's Division provides legal advice to the rest of the FCA, with the exception of some limited areas including enforcement and employment law matters.

Investments, Insurance and Redress

This department advises on policy and supervision issues in relation to retail investments (including pensions), insurance, redress and unfair contract terms.

Banking, Credit, Competition and Accountability

This department advises on the regulation of secured and unsecured credit, retail banking and payment services, competition law issues, product governance and our product intervention powers, transferring the regulation of claims management companies to the FCA, our dealings with Parliament and a variety of issues affecting external parties, including complaints, disclosures, data protection and litigation.

Funds and Wholesale

This department advises on the regulation of authorised funds and fund managers, financial crime issues, FCA authorisations and change in control processes, the regulatory perimeter, wholesale conduct issues, client assets, benchmarks regulation, the approved persons and senior managers and certification regimes, and banking resolution.

 

Markets and Prudential

This department advises on markets issues, including MiFID II, EMIR and derivatives generally, securitisation, credit rating agencies, trading venues, market abuse, short selling, listing and prospectus issues, prudential capital requirements for FCA firms, remuneration requirements, and governance and systems and controls.

What does the role involve? What are the key responsibilities?  

  • Advising the FCA on the exercise of its functions and powers
  • Providing legal advice and support to the FCA on its responsibilities as the supervisor of regulated firms
  • Providing legal support on the development of FCA policy, including drafting rules and guidance (including rules to implement EU directives)
  • Identifying and managing legal risk
  • Advising on EU and international legal issues across the FCA, including on issues relating to the UK's withdrawal from the European Union
  • Advising on corporate and constitutional matters

What will the candidate get from the role?  

Working in the General Counsel's Division, you will benefit from an opportunity:

  • Acquire broader experience of financial services regulation, of how a regulator works and of how the law is made
  • Be fully involved in the development of policy on regulatory issues;
  • Draft rules and guidance in the FCA Handbook;
  • Advise on the application and effect of regulatory requirements and powers in practice;
  • Develop problem-solving and project management skills; and
  • Have a high level of ownership and responsibility for your actions
  • Where a candidate has an existing specialism, to develop it and apply it to financial services regulation

As an Academy business we place great value on your learning and we offer world-class development opportunities which will assist you in achieving your career aspirations. Our Academy offers you a range of opportunities for personal and professional development, including our MSC in financial regulation, Advanced Managers programme, sponsored study and more.

Skills/Experience Required  

Minimum criteria

We're a signatory to the Government's Disability Confident scheme. This means that we guarantee an interview to any disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role.

Junior Associate

  • Qualified lawyer: newly qualified to 4 years’ PQE, or equivalent experience

Senior Associate

  • Qualified Lawyer: minimum 4 years’ PQE, or equivalent experience

Essential criteria

  • Strong academic ability.
  • Strong analytical skills for delivering good and clear analysis of issues.
  • Ability to develop expertise in new technical areas, and to do so quickly, seamlessly, and to a consistently high standard.
  • Ability to create solutions and deliver pragmatic outcome-focused judgements.
  • Credibility and confidence when dealing with colleagues and external lawyers, and ability to challenge appropriately.
  • Ability to build and sustain positive relationships and good communication skills.
  • Good IT skills.

Desirable criteria

Prior experience in one or more of the following:

  • Financial services regulatory law;
  • Public law;
  • EU law;
  • Working within a legal function in a financial services context such as banking, funds, markets, insurance or advising listed companies; or
  • Working within a legal function in a Government Department or other regulatory or public body

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.

GCD – General Counsel  

The General Counsel's Division provides legal advice to the rest of the FCA on all but enforcement and employment law matters. The Division has wide-ranging responsibilities including:

  • Advising the FCA on the exercise of its functions and powers
  • Providing legal advice and support to the FCA on its responsibilities as the supervisor of regulated firms
  • Providing legal support on the development of FCA policy, including drafting rules and guidance (including rules to implement EU directives)
  • Identifying and managing legal risk
  • Advising on EU and international legal issues across the FCA, including EU legislation at the formative stages
  • Advising on corporate and constitutional matters

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.

As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements. Please contact our recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.

Useful Information  

  • As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements. Please contact our recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.
  • The job families for this role are L&F B (Junior Associate) and L&F C (Senior Associate). There are opportunities for staff to move between teams and departments within the General Counsel's Division.
  • The salary range will be approximately 40,000 to 70,000 GBP for Junior Associate level and 50,000 to 90,000 GBP for Senior Associate level plus a competitive benefits package and non-contributory pension
  • Applications close at midnight Sunday 31st March 2019

Selection process

Stage 1: On-line application, please submit your CV and answer to the following question:

Why do you believe that you are suitable for this role?

Please ensure that you specifically relate your answer to the criteria listed in the job advert, covering your relevant skills, technical knowledge and competencies, in no more than 500 words

Stage 2: Will involve a one hour technical case study followed by one hour interview with two Managers/Technical Specialists (the purpose of the case study is not to assess whether you know the relevant law but rather to see how you go about analysing and explaining legal issues).

Stage 3: Will involve a one hour competency and technical interview with a Head of Department and either another Head of Department or a Manager/Technical specialist. (You will be expected to attend our offices for this interview).

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