The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Its role is to maintain monetary and financial stability for the good of the people. The Court of Directors (Court) sets and monitors our objectives and strategy. The Bank:
- sets monetary policy by changing the interest rate (formally known as Bank Rate)
- is responsible for financial stability, ensuring the UK’s financial system is safe and sound
- acts as a settlement agent for commercial banks and others who are members of several payment systems
- regulates and supervises financial firms
- designs and prints banknotes
We are looking for three additional panel members for our Enforcement Decision Making Committee (EDMC), which was established in 2018 and reports to Court. Court appoints members to the committee and will also look to appoint a chair and deputy chair of the EDMC from its membership. They will replace Sir William Blair (Chair) and Philip Marsden (Deputy Chair). Incoming members will join in summer 2026.
The Bank has a variety of powers of enforcement. For example, as part of its role in regulating firms authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the Bank can take regulatory action against those firms and individuals. The EDMC works to strengthen the Bank’s enforcement processes by ensuring a functional separation in contested enforcement cases between investigation teams and the executive, on the one hand, and decision-makers on the other. The essence of the system is that decisions are taken by the EDMC independently.
The EDMC is the Bank’s decision-making body in relation to contested enforcement cases across the regulatory areas where the Bank has enforcement powers. These are:
- Prudential regulation
- Financial market infrastructure (FMI)
- Resolution
- Securitisation
- Wholesale cash distribution
- Critical third parties
The EDMC will also act in Scottish and Northern Ireland (S&NI) Banknote Regime enforcement cases, pursuant to the relevant policy. The EDMC is a Bank committee, comprising individuals who are not Bank employees and who are independent from our executive management structure.
We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds, including outside of the legal profession. You can read members’ biographies at: Enforcement Decision Making Committee.
Candidates should have a genuine interest in contributing to the Bank’s work and mission (in particular, our prudential regulatory remit). They should be aware of the role of administrative decision-making in public bodies and understand that the EDMC will make decisions on behalf of the Bank. A demonstrable ability to effectively analyse information to reach sound judgements is essential. Candidates should be able to deal with evidence that ranges from the technical (with suitable expert support) to issues regarding individuals’ integrity.
Candidates must demonstrate a strong ability to work effectively with others to make collective decisions, while having the strength of character to ensure independence of thought and judgement. They should have flexible interpersonal skills to deal with a variety of scenarios and have excellent listening, oral and written communication abilities.
We want to ensure that the committee has a broad collective skillset, with at least three legally qualified members.
Currently, we appoint EDMC members for renewable, fixed, five-year periods and they do not serve more than two consecutive terms. Ultimately, members will answer to Court.
Members are subject to a conflicts of interest policy and must declare actual or potential conflicts of interest prior to appointment – and any that arise post appointment. Considering the Bank’s objectives, applicants should carefully reflect on whether any existing roles or interests may affect their ability to serve on the committee.
Within the EDMC, there is an appointed chair and deputy chair. Legally qualified people must occupy both positions. Court will appoint them from the committee’s membership.
For the position of chair, candidates should also be able to demonstrate advanced stakeholder management skills. They must be able to present confidently and concisely to stakeholders in the Bank, including its most senior committees, such as Court. The chair acts on behalf of the committee, as the main liaison with the Bank, the PRA and Court. Their time commitment will be considerably more than that of other panel members due to the increased responsibility.
The deputy chair will support the chair and assume their responsibilities when necessary.
The EDMC typically meets about four times a year. The time commitment is greater when we ask members to deal with a contested case. All will receive appropriate training. The number of contested enforcement cases that the EDMC considers is difficult to predict and there will be periods where there are none. Because of the fluid nature of the position, members should be content to offer a flexible time commitment. The role will be remunerated hourly, in line with the Bank’s standard senior adviser rates.
The Bank values and promotes diversity, and is committed to equality of opportunity. We believe that it is by drawing on different perspectives and experiences that we will continue to make the best decisions for the public. Appointments are made on merit.
Interested candidates should send a CV and covering letter to our advisors, Odgers. Please visit their website for further information, including the ability to download the full Candidate Brief.
Those who would like us to consider them for the role of chair or deputy chair should express their interest as part of the application process.
The closing date for all applications is 11 November 2025.