Director - Systems

Director – Payment Systems Directorate

Director of Payment Systems is a senior leadership role initially standing as Deputy Managing Director of the Payment Systems Regulator as it consolidates into the Financial Conduct Authority. Leading a directorate of 60 to 100 people, comprising several departments and some cross organisational matrix management, the role holder will have a significant influence on the future of payments and financial services within the UK.

The Director of Payment Systems is a senior leadership role initially standing as Deputy Managing Director of the Payment Systems Regulator as it consolidates into the Financial Conduct Authority. Leading a directorate of 60 to 100 people, comprising several departments and some cross organisational matrix management, the role holder will have a significant influence on the future of payments and financial services within the UK.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Managing Director of the PSR and will work alongside the PSR Board and the leadership teams in both the FCA and PSR. As the PSR’s responsibilities are formally taken on by the FCA, this role will transition to be Director Payment Systems at the FCA.

Payments is a key area of focus for the FCA /PSR. The Payment Systems Regulator has three core statutory objectives: promoting competition in payment markets, fostering innovation, and ensuring payment systems operate in the best interests of users (consumers & businesses) by being accessible, reliable, secure, and value‑for‑money. The PSR aims to make payment systems work well for everyone.

The scope of the role initially includes responsibility for policy and supervision relating to payment systems and other emerging business models across the financial services industry, ensuring the PSR meets its objectives. The Director will be responsible for ensuring there are appropriate policy standards for the market, for the supervisory oversight of activities and for regulatory interventions to prevent harm. The Director will also play a key role in shaping and delivering the organisation’s transformation into a forward‑looking and proactive regulator that is innovative, adaptive and assertive, working closely with the Director of Payments & Digital Assets on a holistic approach.

The successful candidate will support the ED /MD in leading the PSR until it is fully consolidated into the FCA. This will include acting as deputy Chair for the PSR ExCo, attending the PSR Board, taking accountability for the public‑facing work of the PSR, its operational focus, driving standards and performance, leading key external meetings, regular speaking engagements and leading some remaining transition activities.

• Ensuring the PSR meets its objectives and commitments. Shaping and influencing the medium to long‑term strategy for the PSR/Payment Systems Directorate working alongside colleagues in the Payments and Digital Assets Directorate and the FCA /PSR as a whole to ensure a holistic and coordinated approach to Payment’s regulation. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring that the PSR and FCA, through appropriate cross‑organisation programme management help drive the National Payments Vision working closely with the Bank of England (BoE) and the Treasury.

• Lead on specific pieces of PSR work including, but not limited to, market studies and interventions, supervision of Payment Systems Operators and firms more broadly and reforming our Supervisory model.

• Building a strong, diverse and inclusive directorate through attracting talent and developing existing colleagues.

• Maintaining an awareness of emerging business models and, where relevant, the underlying technology, and assessing the likely impact upon consumers and markets.

• Leading and executing a data‑led strategy to systematically assess firms and implement appropriate tools in the delivery of agreed outcomes.

• Working closely with internal, external and international partners ensuring appropriate policy standards are in place and effective.

• Promoting and representing the FCA /PSR perspective both internally and externally.

• Ensuring an operating model…