Policy Adviser - Financial Services (multiple roles)

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

1) Policy Adviser – Financial Services Strategy

In this role, you will join the Strategy unit within the Financial Services Strategy team. Financial Services is one of the UK’s most successful sectors and the Strategy team plays a central role in delivering on the Chancellor’s priorities for the sector. You will be joining a friendly unit working in the cross-cutting policy branch to help shape FS policy now and the key FS issues of the future.

In this role you will be responsible for:

1. Supporting the delivery of the Chancellor’s annual Mansion House speech which is the government’s key annual set piece event with the sector. Working across HM Treasury, industry and wider government you will coordinate the development of the package across FS group, including providing regular updates to seniors and Ministers.
2. Developing policy thinking on how to support regional growth in the financial services sector, contributing to the delivery of the Government’s overall agenda to support regional growth. Working with colleagues across government to identify and shape opportunities to strengthen the sector’s contribution to economic growth across the UK.
3. Supporting work on cross-cutting financial services priorities, contributing to evolving Ministerial and Chancellor priorities and working on high-profile issues that cut across various financial services subsectors and require coordination across the Financial Services Group.
4. Coordinating financial services input into wider Chancellor priority events and moments, providing analysis and advice on the implications of policy proposals for the sector, working closely with teams across the department to ensure financial services perspectives are reflected in cross-departmental policy conversations.
5. Making a meaningful contribution to FSS and FS group sharing learning, supporting a positive team culture, and actively pursuing development goals.

2) Policy Adviser – Payments

In this role, you will join the payments unit within the Payments, Fintech and Banking team. Payments in the UK have transformed – cash and cheque use has declined significantly, and most payments are now made by card or digitally, supported by a proliferation of new services performed by new market entrants. These changes offer exciting opportunities for UK businesses and consumers, but also present new challenges and risks. The role holder will support the delivery of the government’s strategy to support the UK’s payments sector and help ensure that this sector can continue to thrive and innovate.

This role will involve:

1. Developing a strong understanding of the field of payments and broader financial services policy, working with others who are experts in the field to build and refine your understanding.
2. Provide high quality briefing and advice to government ministers and senior civil servants on payments issues, such as the government’s actions to protect customers’ ability to access cash or work to modernise the UK’s payment services regulatory framework.
3. Take responsibility for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
4. Build and maintain positive relationships with civil servants across HM Treasury and wider government, the financial services regulators and industry, using these contacts to help develop and refine government policy.
5. Monitor ongoing developments in the payments industry, both domestically and internationally, and consider how they impact government policy.
6. Make a positive contribution to the Payments, Fintech and Banking team, and wider Financial Services Group culture.

3) Policy Adviser – Retail Banking

In this role, you will join the retail banking and fintech unit in the Payments, Fintech and Banking team. The unit leads HMT policy on the banks and financial technology firms that provide everyday services to consumers.

Retail banking is the main way most people in the UK will interact with the financial services sector. The role will support policy work on important retail banking topics such as basic bank accounts and access to banking, while working closely with ministers, regulators and industry.

This role will involve:

1. Developing a strong understanding of the retail banking sector and broader financial services policy, working with others who are experts in the field to build and refine your understanding.
2. Providing high-quality briefing and advice to government ministers and senior civil servants on retail banking issues.
3. Taking ownership for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
4. Building and maintaining positive relationships with civil servants in HM Treasury and the wider government, and engaging with financial services regulators and industry representatives to help develop and refine government policy.
5. Supporting the delivery of policy work on access to banking, working across HM Treasury, industry and regulators.
6. Making a positive contribution to the Payments, Fintech and Banking team, and wider Financial Services Group culture.

4) Policy Adviser – Fintech

In this role, you will join the retail banking and fintech unit in the Payments, Fintech and Banking team, working on challenger banks and fintech. The unit leads HMT policy on the banks and financial technology firms that provide everyday services to consumers.

The challenger banks and fintech branch works to ensure the UK remains one of the world's leading locations for innovative financial services firms to start, scale and invest. The role supports policy work on challenger banks, AI in financial services, regulatory innovation, and the fintech landscape. It involves working closely with ministers, regulators, and industry.

This role will involve:

1. Developing a strong understanding of the fintech sector and broader financial services policy, working with others who are experts in the field to build and refine your understanding.
2. Monitoring ongoing domestic and international developments across digital financial services, AI and new technologies, digital identity and the wider fintech ecosystem, and advise ministers and seniors on strategic implications.
3. Providing high-quality briefing and advice to government ministers and senior civil servants on challenger bank and fintech issues.
4. Taking ownership for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
5. Building and maintaining positive relationships with civil servants across HM Treasury and wider government, and engaging with the financial services regulators and industry representatives.
6. Supporting HM Treasury’s engagement for the delivery of UK Fintech Week, working across HM Treasury, industry and wider government and providing regular updates to seniors and Ministers.
7. Making a positive contribution to the Payments, Fintech and Banking team, and wider Financial Services Group culture.

We encourage applications from a wide-range of individuals with an enthusiasm and interest in these roles. Previous financial services policy or sector experience is not required to succeed in the roles.

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.

15th September 2026 2:00 – 2:30pmClick the Link to Join

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date, please contact:

1) Ed Kaye (Eddie.Kaye@HMTreasury.gov.uk) for the Financial Services Strategy role,

2) Jamie Slater (Jamie.Slater@HMTreasury.gov.uk) for the Payments role or.

3) Emily Doctor (Emily.Doctor@HMTreasury.gov.uk) for the Retail Banking and Fintech roles

Visa sponsorship is not available for these roles.

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: Ability to look at complicated information, weigh up different options and clearly explain your recommendation.
2. Communicating and Influencing: Ability to clearly communicate strategic and policy issues and considerations in person and in writing to a range of stakeholders including seniors across HMT and government, Ministers, and externals.
3. DeliveringatPace– Ability to work under time pressure, quickly reprioritising work with the support of seniors and responding to priority tasks across a range of issues in a timely manner.
4. Working Together: Ability to build good relationships with colleagues from different teams and use these connections to drive goals forward and deliver on priorities.

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
  • Communicating and Influencing (to be assessed via a presentation)
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Working Together

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

Civil Service Online Test

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.

There will be maintenance for online tests on 13 September 2026. This means you will be unable to access the online tests between midday to 1pm. 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
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,130, HM Treasury contributes £10,466 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.
• 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 discounts.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working.

Hybrid working: HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites. There is an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

The office working expectation is linked to the location of the role. If you apply to a post in a single location, then you will not be able to meet this expectation at any of our other sites or move your role to another location. Some roles may not be suitable for hybrid working, it will be stated in the role profile if the role cannot accommodate this.

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: 24 September 2026
• Shortlisting: From 25 September 2026
• Interviews: w/c 5 October 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 Counter-Terrorist Check.

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 counter-terrorist 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 : Jamie Slater, Emily Doctor or Eddie Kaye
• Email : Jamie.Slater@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 - 479648 Opens in new window (pdf, 195kB)