Hundreds apply for senior AI roles at UK financial regulator

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has a hiring problem most employers would happily trade for. Hundreds of people have applied for its senior artificial intelligence jobs. The interest was disclosed by Jessica Rusu, the FCA’s chief data, information, and artificial intelligence officer. According to Rusu, applicants keep coming even though the private sector offers bigger paychecks. The roles are not entry-level. Recent openings include positions such as Head of Agentic AI and Data Science Research. Agentic AI is the term for systems that do more than answer questions. They can plan and carry out multi-step tasks with limited human direction. Salaries for those senior positions run from approximately £129,400 to £194,100. Across the FCA’s broader set of AI roles, pay ranges from £59,200 to £194,100, depending on seniority. One LinkedIn posting stands out. The listing for Head of Agentic AI drew more than 200 applicants within a few days of going up in September 2026. Over the past few months, the regulator has been recruiting for a mix of director-level and technical AI positions. Some of those LinkedIn listings attracted more than 200 applications shortly after they were posted...