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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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:

• 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.
• 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.
• Take responsibility for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
• 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.
• Monitor ongoing developments in the payments industry, both domestically and internationally, and consider how they impact government policy.
• 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:

• 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.
• Providing high-quality briefing and advice to government ministers and senior civil servants on retail banking issues.
• Taking ownership for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
• 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.
• Supporting the delivery of policy work on access to banking, working across HM Treasury, industry and regulators.
• 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:

• 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.
• 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.
• Providing high-quality briefing and advice to government ministers and senior civil servants on challenger bank and fintech issues.
• Taking ownership for the timely response of parliamentary questions, letters from the public and freedom of information requests in your policy area.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with civil servants across HM Treasury and wider government, and engaging with the financial services regulators and industry representatives.
• 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.
• 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 – 2:30pm Click 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.

• Making Effective Decisions : Ability to look at complicated information, weigh up different options and clearly explain your recommendation.
• 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.
• Delivering at Pace – 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.
• 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