Vetting Team Clearance Decisions Specialist Division – Operations Department – Cyber & Operational Resilience Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £39,100 to £48,000 and London £41,600 to £51,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience) About the FCA The FCA regulates the conduct of 45,000 firms in the UK to ensure our financial markets are honest, fair and competitive. Follow this link to find out more About the FCA. The Cyber and Operational Resilience directorate is responsible for enabling secure and resilient regulation within the FCA and PSR – an organisation responsible for protecting all UK consumers and financial market. This Associate role is in the Vetting Team as a Clearance Decisions Specialist, a position which has responsibility for leading the delivery of in important part of the established FCA Security & Vetting Framework. Working across the FCA you will be part of a busy, dedicated, and professional Vetting team. The Vetting Team is part of the Operational Resilience department and is specifically accountable for delivering HM Government security vetting on behalf of the FCA. The Vetting Team currently consists of 6 people, headed by an Operational Resilience Manager. This post will have individual responsibilities for making clearance decisions, supporting the Team Manager and Deputy Department Security Officer, and for ensuring the FCA’s compliance with Security Vetting and Screening requirements. It is expected the post holder will work with a wide range of internal and external risk and vetting contacts, whilst providing guidance and advice on all Personnel Security and Security Vetting matters. What will you be doing? Act as the primary expert on vetting-related inquiries, managing issues from clearance holders, recruiters, and external agencies until resolution Manage clearance decision-making, setting risk thresholds, and collaborating with key internal stakeholders like HR and Compliance Strengthen relationships with UKSV and other agencies, ensuring expected service levels and questioning when necessary Guide the business on vetting risk appetite, identifying policy breaches, addressing root causes, and implementing solutions Ensure compliance by advising vetting subjects and business areas, educating where needed Support risk management by working with senior security officers, making high-risk clearance judgements and aligning vetting processes with business risk appetite What will you get from the role? Develop a skill set that is transferrable internally or external - this role will give the opportunity to work and develop your career in a high-profile area within the FCA Due to the nature of the work the candidate will be expected (with support and following training) to be able to converse knowledgably with all areas within the FCA in relation to vetting Integral part of a busy friendly team who are key to both protecting the FCA and ensuring its resilience Which skills are required? We are a Disability Confident Employer; therefore, disabled people or individuals with long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. (To learn more about the Disability Confident Scheme Click Here ) Minimum End to end experience of National Security vetting processes, requirements, and systems - in particular evidential experience of making vetting case decisions using both the UKSV Case Management System and Portal Experience of making risk based vetting decisions in a regulatory environment Strong experience using Word, Excel, Outlook and other similar packages Essential Good relationship management skills are essential with both our internal and external stakeholders Knowledge of using Agile methodologies is a benefit and being able to manage several key ceremonies Able to work on own initiative, prioritising and escalating issues appropriately, taking responsibility for your own actions and working to tight deadlines whilst maintaining accuracy and confidentiality Flexible and willing to take on new tasks and responsibilities and to adapt to changes in the vetting case lifecycle Our Values & Diversity We are proud to be an inclusive employer and our ambition is to cultivate a culture for all employees that respects their individual strengths, views, and experiences. 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. Within the workplace you will have access to various employee resource groups which aim to promote and achieve a healthy work / life balance and support our diversity ambitions. Did you know? 50% of our Executive Committee were the first in their family to attend university. The FCA is committed to achieving greater diversity across all levels of the organisation. Given this, we particularly welcome applications from women, minority ethnic, disabled, and neurodivergent candidates for our associate role. Benefits of working at the FCA 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays Hybrid working (work from home up to 60% of your time) Private healthcare with Bupa A non-contributory Pension of at least 8% Life assurance Income protection We also have a competitive flexible benefits scheme which gives you the opportunity to create a personalised benefits package, tailored to suit your lifestyle. We welcome applications from candidates who are looking for flexible arrangements. Many of our staff work flexibly including working part-time, staggered hours, and job shares. We can’t promise to give you exactly what you want but we can explore what might work best for both sides. Follow this link to see what life is like at the FCA - Life at the FCA Application Support We are dedicated to removing barriers and ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. We offer a range of adjustments to make your application experience as comfortable and straightforward as possible. If you have an accessibility need, disability, or condition requiring changes to the recruitment process, please contact your recruiter using the details below and they will be happy to discuss this further with you. Useful Information and Timeline This role is graded as: Associate – Level 8 – Corporate SC Clearance is required for this role - SC Guidance The successful candidate will hold or will be required to obtain Security Clearance (SC) level vetting. The successful applicant will be expected to achieve DV within 12 months of starting Advert Closing Date: 26th February 2025 First Round Competency Based Interview: W/C 17th March 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. Got a question? If you are interested in learning more about the role, please contact: For internal applicants, please contact Sara Holland at Sara.Holland2fca.org.uk For external applicants, please contact Ifrah Azam at Ifrah.Azamfca.org.uk Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted