Market Abuse Data Analyst Associate 12 Month FTC

Job Title – Market Abuse Data Analyst (Associate)- 12 Month FTC

Division - Enforcement and Market Oversight

Department - Secondary Market Oversight

Team – FICC Market Abuse (Fixed income, currency and commodities)

Salary - National (Edinburgh and Leeds) ranging from £45,000 to £60,000 and London £50,000 to £65,000 per annum (Salary offered will be based on skills and experience)

About the FCA

The FCA is the UK investigating and prosecuting authority for insider dealing and market manipulation. The Secondary Market Oversight (SMO) department sets our strategy for this work and leads in its delivery. We do this by managing some of the richest datasets and intelligence in the world, deploying state-of-the-art analytics and bringing together a diverse mix of experienced investigators, regulators, markets professionals and data scientists.

We are looking for a new team member to join one of the Market Abuse Enquiries Teams in SMO which specialise in identifying and reviewing cases of potential market abuse across all markets. While a large part of our work derives from market abuse notifications reported to the FCA, our work is increasingly driven by a data-led, proactive approach focusing on those products and markets that are subject to our enhanced regulatory focus.

We are seeking to hire an Associate for an initial period of 12 months with experience in equity, fixed income, or commodity markets or surveillance, and experience of developing and creating tools to assist our enquiries work using Python, SQL and Tableau.  You will be supported in this by a team of Data Engineers and Data Scientists who support the whole Market Oversight directorate.

The role involves reviewing market abuse notifications and growing the analytical capabilities of the teams through developing how we analyse and visualise commercial and regulatory data sources.

What will you be doing?

• Collaborating with market abuse specialists to analyse market events and trading activities of interest or concern

• Applying your skills in Python, SQL, and Tableau to create insightful market abuse visualisations, and develop analytical and surveillance tools that support the day-to-day activities of the market abuse enquiries teams (for example, summarising trading activity over extended periods or across multiple accounts)

• Acting as a key link between the market abuse teams and the data scientists and data engineers in our commercial and regulatory data teams, helping to enhance our overall market abuse data capabilities

• Sharing your expertise to coach and support market abuse teams in developing their technical skills, contributing to faster triage and more effective assessments

• Supporting the delivery of thematic workstreams and key areas of responsibility, working collaboratively with other departments across the FCA

What will you get from the role?

• This is a varied role in one of the most dynamic areas of the FCA, offering an excellent opportunity to play a key part in achieving the FCA’s strategic objectives by delivering proactive action on market abuse

• You will collaborate with, and learn from, market abuse specialists who bring significant industry experience combined with regulatory expertise. Your role will involve developing practical solutions to support the day-to-day work and analysis of the market abuse teams

• You will have a unique opportunity to grow your data engineering and science knowledge through self-directed learning, supported by experienced data scientists and data engineers

• In addition, you will gain exposure to a wide range of activities within the Secondary Market Oversight department and beyond, learning how the FCA applies data engineering and science methods to enhance market operations and evaluation. You will have opportunities to build strong working relationships with colleagues across the Market Oversight division

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

• Practical experience of UK financial markets gained within a financial services firm or trading venue, with relevant exposure to equities, fixed income, or commodities, ideally through front-office, middle-office, risk, surveillance, or similar roles

• Strong proficiency in SQL and Python, including experience with related libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib

• Experience in developing data visualisations and dashboards using tools such as Tableau

Essential

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly and succinctly to a range of audiences

• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and tasks effectively, with a strong focus on prioritisation

• Collaborative team player, able to work productively and inclusively within a team environment

• Strong analytical skills, with an affinity for working with datasets and visualisation tools

• Ability to form sound, evidence-based judgements and provide clear, practical recommendations, maintaining a flexible and adaptable approach

• Self-starter with a proactive attitude toward acquiring new skills, knowledge, and taking ownership of workload

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for continuous learning and knowledge sharing

• Ability to build strong, effective working relationships with colleagues and key stakeholders, with an understanding of the UK Market Abuse Regulation (UK MAR)

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 men (PBS Roles) /women, minority ethnic, disabled, and neurodivergent candidates for our Associate Level 8 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% 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

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 – Regulatory

• Advert Closing Date:  04th May 2025

• CV Review/Shortlist: 6th May 2025

• First Round Case Study Assessment: 8th May 2025

• Competency Based Interview: week commencing 12th May 2025

• Manager Assessment: week commencing 19th May 2025

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 Steve Christopher at steve.christopher@fca.org.uk

Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.