What is an Ombudsman?

Skilled problem solvers. Trusted team leaders. Fair decision makers. 

Join us as an ombudsman and use your skills and experience to help make financial services fair. 

Our ombudsmen are vital to our service. They make sure everyone in a customer-facing team has the skills and support to investigate and respond to the financial services complaints we’re asked to resolve. 

They also make legally binding decisions on some of our most challenging and complex cases. 

We’re currently recruiting for Ombudsman Leaders to join our teams across the UK. 

Our work

At the Financial Ombudsman Service, we resolve disputes between consumers or small businesses and their financial service providers. Every year we resolve thousands of cases and make decisions on a range of complex and difficult issues involving complaints about banking, credit, insurance, investments or pensions.


Find out more about what we do 

The role

Our Ombudsmen Leaders help resolve the complaints we receive, taking a strategic lead across a specific area of financial products or services. They lead the teams in their area, ensuring our people deliver the best possible customer service.  

Leading teams of skilled problem solvers 

You will lead and promote a culture of strong performance and personal accountability by setting and maintaining high standards and clear expectations for the teams you work with. Your teams will include other ombudsmen and investigators. You will role model our values every day through your leadership providing a strong performance management culture and a clear strategic direction. 

Resolving cases fairly, reasonably and with finality 

Ombudsman Leaders are members of our statutory Ombudsman Panel. 

You will help shape our policy and approach to cases in your product area, including issuing decisions on some of our complex cases – and ensure consistency of approach across the service. 

Ombudsman Leaders are great ambassadors for our service. You will help to build strong relationships with our external stakeholders – including industry representatives, consumer advocates and regulators – and share insights and expertise from the cases we settle. 

Who we’re looking for

People who work for us as ombudsmen come from diverse backgrounds, but have usually:

  • led teams in a customer-focused organisation
  • created a collaborative environment, facilitated knowledge sharing and encouraged teamwork
  • proactive and demonstrable problem-solving skills
  • planned and prioritised in a changing, busy environment
  • set objectives, high standards and clear expectations - driven performance and helped others to succeed.
  • gained judgement skills and the ability to make evidence-based, accountable decisions
  • used data and information to improve quality of service and achieve service standards
  • been involved in making key decisions on complex, sensitive, legal or technical matters

Specific abilities or personal qualities you’ll need:

  • a communication style that’s adaptable to a diverse range of customers
  • the ability to listen and ask questions that get to the heart of the problem
  • empathy – to stay mindful of what it feels like for all involved in a case
  • the desire to achieve results as a team, while being flexible and understanding
  • the ability to build strong working relationships, both internally and with external stakeholders
  • persuasiveness and influence at stakeholder and senior level
  • a mentality that’s open, decisive and objective, that can cut through complexity to drive informed, logical and fair answers and decisions across your team

What we offer

We offer comprehensive training, career development and flexible benefits to suit you. 

  • We offer hybrid working and flexible hours. And we’ve designed our policies and work practices to help you maximise your work-life balance.  

    Our core benefits include private medical insurance and a generous pension. You can also choose from a selection of additional benefits – such as childcare vouchers, dining and lifestyle memberships – to create a package that works best for you. 

    See more about what we offer on our Careers page. 

  • As an ombudsman, you'll get a comprehensive introduction to the service and the role when you first join us. Through a combination of mentoring, coaching and training, you'll learn more about our approach to case-handling as well as financial products and services.  

    Our commitment to your personal and professional development will continue throughout your career with us. 

  • Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our success. We treat people fairly and equally in everything we do – and that goes for the people who work for us too.  

    Our shared values, and our commitment to sharing knowledge, insight and expertise, help us to build an engaged and inclusive organisation.  

    Colleagues tell us that the work culture and our people are among the best things about working here. 

    Find out more about our culture.

How to apply

To apply to become an Ombudsman Leader, youll need to complete our online application.

For any enquiries about the role or the recruitment process, you can contact our HR Team on 020 3069 6950.