Head of Consumer Credit Unit

About HM Treasury

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.  

Our work ranges from protecting customers through the regulation of the financial sector, helping to reduce carbon emissions and creating a greener economy, to promoting British trade around the world and supporting people across the country on jobs, growth and more.  

HM Treasury is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

We are part of the Darlington Economic Campus, a pioneering new cross-government hub which brings people together to play an active role in the most important issues of the day whilst working closer to the communities we serve. The campus provides the opportunity for people from all over the UK to help shape the future of the country, and our flexible working practices ensure you can collaborate effectively with our partners. It’s central government, made more accessible to you! 

About the Group

The Financial Services Group advises the government on how to promote a stable and efficient financial services sector, to deliver excellent outcomes for consumers and business, enhance the UK’s position as a global hub for financial services and support economic growth across the country.

The financial services sector is important to the UK economy – providing significant numbers of jobs and making a large contribution to the UK’s economic output. It also provides essential services to individuals – for example, helping them to purchase goods with ease, buy their first home, and plan for their retirement. During the COVID pandemic, it played a critical role in supporting individuals and businesses – for example, in providing payment holidays for individuals and businesses affected by the pandemic and working with the government to deliver Bounce Back Loans.

We ensure that financial services businesses such as banks, investment firms, financial advisors and insurers are well-regulated. Ensuring firms treat customers fairly, customers have access to a range of financial services as a result of competition in the market, and there are appropriate remedies in place when things go wrong.

We work on a significant international agenda which includes promoting openness and trading links between the UK and countries all around the world, including through Free Trade Agreements and other international dialogues and negotiations.  To do this we work closely with  colleagues in offices overseas from the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for International Trade.

Working with stakeholders is key in Financial Services – for example, we work closely with the independent regulators to help them fulfil their roles, consult consumer groups on issues affecting them, and work with the sector on wider issues like the net-zero agenda.

About the Team

The Personal Finances and Funds team brings together the strategic oversight of the asset management, financial advice, consumer credit and debt advice sectors in the UK.

The work is challenging, fast-paced and high profile, but it is also a friendly, supportive and inclusive team – of around 20 people – with consistently high staff engagement. The team consists of three units:

The Financial Inclusion, Capability and Consumer Debt Unit which ensures that financial products and services are available and affordable to all, consumers are equipped to navigate them, and appropriately supported when they fall into debt.

• The Consumer Credit Unit leads Government policy towards the £200 billion consumer credit market.
• The Asset Management Unit sets Government’s strategy for the UK’s asset management industry to ensure it supports a competitive and innovative sector, and also ensures that riskier investments are only offered appropriately.

About the Job

Are you looking for a high-profile policy role at the heart of government?

We are looking to recruit a new head of consumer credit policy. The role oversees for government policy relating to the UK’s £200bn consumer credit market, which includes everyday financial products like personal loans, credit cards and Buy-Now Pay-Later. They work with regulators – in particular the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) – and a very wide range of interest groups to deliver priorities in this varied and interesting area of financial services policy, which has a direct impact on millions of UK consumers and enjoys a high profile among ministers.

The successful candidate will:

1. Lead and manage the Consumer Credit Unit comprising two range Es (grade 7 equivalent) and two range Ds (HEO/SEO equivalent), ensuring that they have clear objectives, are supported in their development and foster an inclusive environment where all members of staff can thrive. In addition, the postholder will be expected to provide a broader leadership role across the team, with the other unit heads and the Deputy Director.
2. Oversee the work programme to deliver reform of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and related legislation. This is an ambitious and complex undertaking, involving changes to both primary and secondary legislation. The postholder will drive forward this multi-year programme of work, navigating strategic and technical issues, working closely with Treasury lawyers and the FCA.
3. Lead on the Government’s work to consider what different types of consumer credit activity should be subject to FCA regulation, and work with lawyers to develop the legislation that delivers any policy decisions. This includes detailed work in the high-profile area of Buy-Now Pay-Later regulation.
4. Drive forward the government’s agenda to improve the provision of responsible credit for all consumers, developing policy to overcome a number of market barriers that currently prevent many consumers from accessing small sums of credit at affordable rates. This includes forging strong working relationships with Fair4All Finance, the organisation funded by dormant assets money to address financial exclusion.
5. Develop the expertise to be able to credibly lead discussions within government on the UK consumer credit market, able to engage credibly with senior stakeholders and recognise new policy opportunities and risks.
6. Engage clearly, both in writing and in person, with ministers and other senior colleagues on the full range of issues relating to consumer credit.
7. Form effective and collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, from small community lenders and the civil society organisations that seek to support them, to a range of trade bodies who represent the large and diverse set of firms operational in consumer credit, as well as key industry players and a range of colleagues at the Financial Conduct Authority who seek to regulate these firms.

Candidate Drop-In Session 
 
We will be running a candidate drop-in session for this role to give you greater insight about the role as well as the chance to learn more about HM Treasury and the recruitment process. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.  

Monday 18th December at 13:30 – 14:30: Click here to join the meeting 

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please contact Anna Harvey anna.harvey@hmtreasury.gov.uk

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.   

1. Ability to develop excellent working relationships and effectively influence senior stakeholders (Communicating and Influencing)
2. Ability to lead a team to develop and deliver policy priorities (Leadership)
3. Experience of providing strategic insight into a technical area, being able to engage with the detail and link this to broader priorities (Experience) 

The lead criterion is: Ability to develop excellent working relationships and effectively influence senior stakeholders (Communicating and Influencing) 

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only. 

Candidate Guidance Support Session 
 
We will be running an overview of Success Profiles and the STAR approach; top tips for the application and interview process and an opportunity to ask general questions around our recruitment practices. If you would like to join us, then use the appropriate link below to join the call at the right time.  

Tuesday 12th December at 17:00 – 17:45: Click here to join the meeting

Tuesday 19th December at 12:00 to 12:45: Click here to join the meeting

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing you to take up to an additional 2 days off each month.
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, compressed hours).
• Generous parental leave and adoption leave packages.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances.
• A Rental Deposit Advance Scheme to help meet the total costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
• Access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal allowing you access to a range of discount codes for online shopping.
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity (e.g. women in the Treasury, ethnic minority network, LGBT* network, faith and belief network).
• Access to a range of allowances if eligibility applies. These include profession related allowances.

Flexible Working Arrangements

HM Treasury views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they can enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; part-time, compressed hours and job sharing. Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees the flexibility to adjust their working patterns throughout the week which is subject to operational needs and line management approval. 

At HM Treasury we have an incredibly broad remit; our work touches every citizen of the country. So, it’s important our employees come from the widest possible range of backgrounds, bringing us the widest possible range of perspectives and ways of thinking. We are committed to ensuring that all staff can realize their potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance. 

HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites – Darlington, London, and Norwich, and along with the rest of the Civil Service, has an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office, along with working remotely. This blended working approach allows you to work collaboratively, meet stakeholders face to face, support others and promotes a healthy work life balance (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review. All our offices have been recently modernised and designed to collaborate and connect with colleagues as well as desk and quiet space to allow a range of ways to work.   

Job contact :

• Name : Anna Harvey
• Email : anna.harvey@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk