Lead Digital Assets Supervisor

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 financial services.

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 the Payments and Digital Assets directorate, the Market Intervention department supervises and enforces regulatory standards in cryptoasset firms, and other firms with crypto-adjacent business models.

We are operating in a particularly interesting period of cryptoasset regulation which will bring all firms conducting qualifying activity in the UK within the FCA’s regulatory perimeter. The new rules will require firms to implement full Financial Services & Markets Act (FSMA) requirements to ensure high standards of conduct, prudential management and market integrity. Significant work is underway to help ensure that FCA is ready for this transition, and can deliver the necessary functions in Authorisations, Supervision and Policy to make it a success.

Role Responsibilities

Our Registered team are responsible for supervising firms’ compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs). The team identify, manage, and mitigate risks of potential harm arising in firms, including rapidly intervening where firms are at risk of being used as conduits for illegal activity, or pose a harm to consumers or market integrity. The team has a key role to play in ensuring the effective embedding of the new regime both internally and externally. In the future, we will be supervising firms’ compliance under FSMA.

Line managing colleagues, including closely managing performance and talent as necessary

Carefully planning, prioritising, and allocating supervisory work across the team

Assessing cases of varying complexity, and making sound, consistent, and timely regulatory judgements

Formulating strategies to deal with complex or novel issues arising domestically or internationally

Delivering through others, by coaching colleagues in technical knowledge, case strategies, and firm interactions

Supporting build of the supervisory framework, infrastructure, operating model and processes to allow MIDA and SPC, including specialist supervisors, to effectively supervise crypto firms under the future regulatory regime

Work with firms to ensure they can meet full new FSMA requirements by 25 October 2027 (implementation date)

Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with a wide range of internal stakeholders, including financial crime specialists, legal advisors, Authorisations, Intelligence, Enforcement and Policy teams

Skills Required

Minimum:

Prior people management experience demonstrating the ability to support, coach and develop those with a range of backgrounds

Demonstrable experience of assessing and analysing information including analysing complex information and data, exercising robust, consistent judgements that balance a range of competing factors, and synthesising supervision or investigation strategies

Experience of supervision or investigations under the MLRs or Payments Services Regulations/Electronic Money Regulations (PSRs/EMRs), and FSMA

Essential:

A motivated individual who combines structure with careful judgment to reach decisions

Experience of prioritising the workload of a team, managing your time effectively and using sound judgement to deliver results in a high-case volume environment

Demonstrated sense of accountability, demonstrating ownership of problems and implementing pragmatic action-based solutions

Familiarity with the range of firms across the Digital Assets sector including business models, key products, schemes, systems, and the roles played by various firms and institutions

Demonstrated ability to balance competing priorities and operate effectively when priorities shift frequently

Ability to represent yourself and the FCA professionally and credibly, with effective oral and presentation skills

Experience in managing challenging firms, supporting them through the regulatory process, and maintaining clear standards to deliver positive regulatory outcomes

Experienced in mentoring peers and providing dependable support to others