Financial Services Senior Policy Adviser - multiple roles available

Job summary

Working at HM Treasury puts you at the heart of government, making a difference to the UK economy and ultimately to people’s lives right across the UK.

Jobs at the Treasury are fast-paced, fun and can offer unparalleled perspective – not least the opportunity to advise Ministers on the decisions which directly determine the UK’s prosperity. Deep in our DNA is a commitment to empowering our people: maximising individual and collective impact, with interesting work no matter your role or seniority.

Day-to-day you could be supporting Ministers to decide the right level of a specific tax or line of government spending; helping maintain the stability of financial markets; analysing the long-term trends impacting the future of the economy; or enabling this work as part of our vital corporate functions.

We are a high-performing department and proud to have outstanding staff from a wide range of backgrounds. We are also a friendly, inclusive and sociable workplace that prides itself on fostering great team spirit. Our two largest offices are 1 Horse Guards Road in London, opposite St James’ Park, and the Darlington Economic Campus, which also contains eight other departments. We work seamlessly across all our sites, including Norwich, Birmingham and Leeds, as one Treasury.

We are both a 1,000-year-old institution and dynamic, forward-looking economics and finance ministry, with a strong direction set by our organisational strategy, the Future Treasury Vision. The 21st century offers huge opportunities and poses new challenges for the UK. Working at the Treasury is your chance to help the country chart the right course.

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Financial Services Group in a Grade 7 leadership role working on issues that sit at the heart of the UK's financial services sector and wider economy!

The successful candidates will lead policy development and delivery across a portfolio of financial services issues, helping to shape the Government's approach to a rapidly evolving sector. There are up to 11 roles available, all of which offer the opportunity to work on high-profile issues that affect UK consumers and business and help support growth across the UK. These roles available cover domestic and international policy development leading on issues from regulatory reform, legislation, market strategy, to strategic stakeholder engagement.

You will operate in a fast-paced environment with regular exposure to ministers, senior leaders and external stakeholders. The roles require strong judgement, strategic thinking and the ability to develop effective relationships to influence outcomes across organisational boundaries.

While the portfolios vary, all successful candidates will play a leading role in delivering the Government's objectives for a competitive, innovative, resilient and well-regulated financial services sector.

Key responsibilities

1. Lead the development of the government’s long-term strategy across your portfolio of financial services issues, ensuring policy objectives are evidence-based, responsive to technological and economic change, and aligned with wider government priorities.
2. Lead the design and development of policy proposals within your portfolio, identifying and resolving complex policy challenges, responding to ministerial priorities, and using robust analysis to assess impacts, trade-offs and implementation considerations.
3. Oversee the delivery of policy reforms, programmes and legislation from approval through to implementation and evaluation, ensuring effective governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement and delivery against agreed objectives.
4. Provide high-quality written and verbal advice to ministers, special advisers and senior officials on complex and finely balanced issues.
5. Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders across government, regulators, industry and where relevant consumer groups and international partners.
6. Line manage and develop team members, creating an inclusive and supportive working environment that promotes high performance.

Roles Available:

1) Americas
You will lead the UK’s financial services relationships with partners across the Americas, advancing shared priorities and supporting market access and cooperation. The role offers significant international exposure, opportunities to influence bilateral and multilateral discussions, and close engagement with overseas governments, regulators, businesses, UK representatives abroad and colleagues across Whitehall.

2) Business Engagement
You will lead strategic engagement with financial services businesses, ensuring market insight directly informs government policy and delivery. The role offers broad exposure across the sector, responsibility for high-profile events, senior relationships, writing speeches, opportunities to identify emerging issues, coordinate engagement across Treasury, and strengthen collaboration between government and industry.

3) Business Lending
You will drive forward meaningful policy changes to support access to finance – such as updating the Commercial Credit Data Sharing scheme – alongside advising ministers on relevant business banking policy issues as they arise. This will require working flexibly and developing a deep understanding of the business lending market.

4) Challenger Banks & FinTech
You will help ensure the UK remains a leading global centre for challenger banks and fintechs to start scale and invest. This dynamic role offers exposure to emerging business models and technologies, with opportunities to co-ordinate across government, regulators and industry, shaping policy design and building influential relationships to support innovation, competition and growth.

5) Consumer Credit
You will lead reforms to create a modern, proportionate consumer credit framework that supports innovation and growth while protecting consumers. The role offers significant legislative and regulatory responsibility, requiring you to resolve complex issues, understand evolving markets and technology, and collaborate closely with regulators, industry and consumer groups.

6) Europe Middle East and Africa
You will shape the UK’s financial services engagement across Europe (EU member states and non-EU countries), the Middle East and Africa, working across diverse and strategically important markets. This role provides opportunities to deepen regulatory cooperation, promote UK interests, resolve market-access issues, and build influential relationships with governments, regulators, businesses and diplomatic networks across the regions. The specific country portfolio within the region will be confirmed upon appointment.

7) G20 Digital Assets
You will lead policy development and preparations on financial services priorities for the UK’s G20 Presidency in 2027, shaping UK positions on digitalised markets and beyond. This offers a unique opportunity to influence international policy, deliver high-profile priorities, and build strong relationships across government, regulators, industry and global partners.

8) Homeownership Schemes
You will lead policy on government-backed homeownership schemes, helping more people access sustainable routes into owning a home. This role offers the opportunity to shape high-profile programmes, balance consumer, lender and taxpayer interests, oversee delivery, and work closely with housing departments, regulators, lenders and other stakeholders.

9) Mortgages
You will shape government policy for a resilient, competitive mortgage market that works well for borrowers and lenders. You will advise ministers on important policy issues - for instance, supporting mortgage switching - as well as build productive relationships with regulators, industry and consumer representatives.

10) Pensions Markets
You will lead policy for well-functioning pension markets that deliver strong outcomes for savers and support a sustainable, competitive sector. The role provides scope to lead complex regulatory and market reforms, respond to long-term demographic and economic change, and work closely with schemes, providers, regulators, other government departments and consumer organisations.

11) Pensions Investment
You will lead policy to unlock more productive pensions investment. This role offers the opportunity to influence how substantial long-term savings support UK growth, innovation and infrastructure, help implement major market reforms, and engage with pension schemes, asset managers, regulators, investors and colleagues across government.

Candidate Drop-In Session

The hiring manager will be running a candidate drop-in session to give you greater insight about the role and HM Treasury, and ask any questions you might have. If you would like to join us, use the link below to join the call at the right time.

Monday 28 September at 12.30pm To Join the Link Click here

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact Katherine.Richards@hmtreasury.gov.uk or Katie.Latimer@hmtreasury.gov.uk

If candidates require reasonable adjustments during the application process, or online test process, please allow sufficient time (at least 5 working days prior to the job closing date) to request support, to allow us to support candidates as best as possible. Please note that there is no candidate support from Friday 5pm until Monday 9am.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Person specification

Application Form

Applications should consist of a CV including your employment history, and a 250-word statement demonstrating evidence of each of the below shortlisting criteria. Your CV and employment history won’t be scored. It’s used to give context to your application and support discussions at interview.

The panel will review applications and invite those that best demonstrate evidence of the shortlisting criteria below for interview. Please keep this in mind when writing your application.

Please note that only applications submitted through Civil Service Jobs will be accepted.

1. Making Effective Decisions [Lead] - Ability to lead complex policy work, collaborate with others to assess a range of different factors, apply sound judgment, and recommend conclusions under uncertainty.
2. Seeing the Big Picture - Ability to understand the wider political and economic context of policy area and reflect this understanding in policy recommendations
3. Communicating and Influencing - Ability to communicate effectively with seniors, Ministers, and external stakeholders, breaking down complex information and flexing communication style.

The lead criterion is: Making Effective Decisions

If we receive a high volume of applications, we’ll first sift using the lead criterion only. Those meeting the minimum score will then be assessed against all remaining criteria.

Interview Stage

If you are successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace

Interview Presentation

Prior to your interview, we will contact you about a presentation that the panel would like you to deliver as part of the assessment. Further details will be communicated to you nearer the time.

Pre-Application Online Test

Prior to submitting your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Online Test relevant to the role. Once you start your application you will receive an email invitation with details on how to proceed and you will only be able to submit your full application if you meet the pass mark.

For this post, you will be asked to complete;

• Civil Service Verbal Test (Verbal Test)
• Civil Service Judgement Test (Judgement Test)

For Civil Service Verbal Test - If you have recently taken and passed the same Civil Service test when applying for a role at the same grade, you will not have to re-take this.

For more information on Civil Service tests, and for guidance on how to practice and prepare for them, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/civil-service-online-tests

There will be maintenance for online tests on Sunday 27 September 2026. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between 4pm to midnight. Your progress will be saved, and you will be able to continue once the tests are available again.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,690, HM Treasury contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working (where business needs allow).
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discount codes.

You can review HM Treasury’s full offer here.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

The reference to Experience above is system-generated. For this role, experience is not assessed at any stage. We will ask for some CV details in your application form, but this is for reference only and will not be scored.

Candidate Guidance

Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 07/10/2026
• Shortlisting: From 08/10/2026
• Interviews: w/c 26/10/2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Security Check (SC)

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants will need to have lived in the UK for at least 3 out of the past 5 years. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Katherine Richards
• Email : Katherine.Richards@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Role Profile 475210_ Opens in new window (pdf, 201kB)