Financial Ombudsman Service

Job details

Pay

• £31,238 a year

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Job type

• Full-time

• 
  

• Part-time

• 
  

• Contract

• 
  

Shift and schedule

• Flexitime

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• Monday to Friday

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Benefits

Pulled from the full job description

• Childcare

• Company car

• Company pension

• Cycle to work scheme

• Employee discount

• Flexitime

• Life insurance

• Private dental insurance

• Private medical insurance

• Tech scheme

• Work from home

Full job description

Make a Positive Impact in Financial Services: Join Us as an Investigator

Contract: 18-Month Fixed-Term Contract

Are you passionate about making a meaningful difference in the financial services industry? Here’s your chance to contribute to a vital, independent organization that resolves financial disputes in the UK. The Financial Ombudsman Service is looking for Investigators to join the team on an 18-month fixed-term contract.

We’re offering both full-time (35 hours per week) and part-time (28 hours per week) positions, with a salary of £31,238 per annum for full-time roles and £24,990 per annum for part-time roles.

This is a remote role with occasional travel—about once every eight weeks—to our central Edinburgh office. As part of your induction, you'll spend your first week in our London office, with all expenses covered.

Start Dates:

• 8th July 2024

• 22nd July 2024

About the Financial Ombudsman Service

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to resolving disputes between consumers or small businesses and their financial service providers. Every day, we handle a variety of complaints—from issues with bank accounts and payday loans to concerns about mortgages or insurance claims.

If a customer has not been treated fairly, we ask the business to rectify the situation. If the business isn’t at fault, we provide a clear explanation as to why. The decisions we make can have a significant impact, both for individuals and for businesses, helping to create a fairer financial environment across the UK.

By joining us as an Investigator, you’ll focus primarily on consumer credit products, playing a pivotal role in our mission to ensure fairness and transparency in financial services. The cases you work on will be diverse, and no two days will be the same. Although the work can be challenging, it is highly rewarding, offering both job satisfaction and a generous package of benefits.

Key Responsibilities

As a new Investigator, you’ll begin by spending up to six months in our academy, receiving thorough training to ensure you can confidently make fair, balanced decisions. Once you complete your training, you’ll be part of a team led by an Ombudsman Manager, managing your own caseload and setting work priorities.

Your core responsibilities will include:

• Managing your caseload efficiently to meet set targets.

• Building relationships with consumers and financial businesses, ensuring effective communication and problem resolution.

• Investigating complaints thoroughly, and reviewing all available evidence to understand the core issues of each case.

• Weighing all sides of a complaint and assessing relevant rules, regulations, and policies to make fair and reasonable decisions.

• Communicating with empathy—listening attentively to both sides, asking thoughtful questions, and using sound judgment to reach a conclusion.

• Writing clear, structured responses, detailing the rationale behind your decisions.

Person Specification

We’re looking for a self-starter who can manage their workload independently while maintaining a high standard of customer service. You’ll need strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.

You might have worked in customer services, sales, retail, legal, paralegal, or perhaps in a casework, claims, or investigative role for a public agency. Whatever your background, you’ll bring a strong sense of fairness and the ability to handle complex cases with confidence.

Essential Criteria:

To be considered for the role, you’ll need:

• Demonstrable experience in consumer credit products—you understand the landscape and can navigate the complexities of these financial services.

• Experience making fair, balanced decisions and communicating the rationale behind those decisions clearly and effectively.

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain complex issues in simple, clear language.

• Experience in customer service, particularly in dealing with upset or angry customers, and resolving conflicts professionally.

• Strong problem-solving skills, capable of finding constructive solutions to difficult issues.

• Effective administrative abilities—you can prioritize your workload and meet targets or service-level agreements.

Desirable Criteria:

While not essential, it would be beneficial if you have:

• Knowledge of financial products—experience with products like mortgages, loans, insurance, or credit cards will give you a head start in understanding the cases you’ll be working on.

• Experience in decision-making or analytical roles such as legal, paralegal, casework, or claims.

Why Join the Financial Ombudsman Service?

The Financial Ombudsman Service is proud to be a UK-wide organization with strong values and a diverse, inclusive workforce. We want our employees to feel they can bring their authentic selves to work, and we’re committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome, valued, and supported.

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a comprehensive package of benefits, designed to support both your professional and personal well-being:

• Core benefits:

• Generous pension scheme

• Life assurance

• Critical illness cover

• Income protection

• Personal accident cover

• Private medical insurance

• Virtual GP service

• Optional benefits:

• Childcare vouchers

• Travel Insurance

• Technology scheme

• Cycle to work scheme

• Dining and lifestyle memberships

• Dental cover

• Holiday entitlement: 25 days per year, with the option to buy or sell extra days.

• Discounts: Access to discounts on a range of everyday shopping, from groceries and petrol to household goods and gift vouchers.

• Employee Assistance Programme: Professional support with legal, health, and money issues.

• Opportunities for personal and career development: We are dedicated to your growth and offer plenty of opportunities for you to advance within the organization.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the Financial Ombudsman Service, we recognise that reflecting the communities we serve helps us provide the best possible service. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our culture, and we welcome applications from women and other under-represented groups. As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter, we actively encourage applications from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority candidates.

We’re also proud to be a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, meaning we guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role. This guarantee may not apply if we receive a very high volume of applications, but we are committed to ensuring that all candidates with disabilities are given fair consideration.

If you have any specific needs for reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact us at hrsupport@financial-ombudsman.org.uk to discuss how we can support you.

To learn more about our Diversity and Inclusion strategy, you can visit our website, where you can also read our latest Diversity, Inclusion, and Wellbeing Report (2022).

How to Apply

1. Visit the Financial Ombudsman Service careers site to submit your application.

2. Upload your CV, ensuring it highlights relevant skills and experience. If you have gaps in your employment history, feel free to explain them.

3. Use the supporting statement section to clearly demonstrate how you meet the minimum criteria for the role.

4. If your application is shortlisted, you will be invited to complete an online assessment.

Please note, that we may close the application window early if we receive a large number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Financial Ombudsman Service, where your work will have a real, positive impact on people’s lives and the financial services industry.

FAQ