Senior Compliance Manager (12 month FTC)

Hello, we’re Starling. We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. We’re a fully licensed UK bank with the culture and spirit of a fast-moving, disruptive tech company. We’re a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ nearly 4,000 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

As a Senior Compliance Manager within Starling's Risk & Compliance Department, you will play a pivotal role in our Second Line of Defence (2LoD). Reporting directly to the Head of Conduct and Compliance Advice, your purpose is to provide robust regulatory compliance advice, guidance, and independent oversight to our first-line business teams. You will ensure the Bank effectively manages its regulatory and conduct-related risks while consistently delivering good customer outcomes. This role requires a balance of strong leadership - supporting the day-to-day management of a high-performing advice team - and deep regulatory expertise to cover all current and future products, services, and overarching compliance frameworks.

This role is a 12 month Fixed Term Contract.

Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Management: Support the Head of Conduct & Compliance Advice with the day-to-day management of the team. Provide ongoing people management, coaching, and development to specialist direct reports, ensuring appropriate skill, capacity, and performance levels.
• Regulatory Advice & Guidance: Deliver timely, accurate 2LoD compliance and conduct advice across all Starling products, services, and overarching requirements (including Consumer Duty, conduct risk, SMCR, outsourcing, product governance, vulnerable customers, complaints, and conflicts of interest).
• Oversight & Challenge: Provide independent challenge and oversight to the First Line of Defence (1LoD), while simultaneously building strong, collaborative relationships to foster an effective working environment between Compliance and the business.
• Frameworks & Policies: Support the development and implementation of requisite conduct risk and compliance frameworks and policies.
• Reporting: Assist the Head of Conduct & Compliance Advice and the broader team with the production of the monthly Compliance reporting pack.
• Approvals & Submissions: Support team members with the approval of financial promotions and marketing across all bank products and services. Oversee the submission of SMF applications to regulators and ensure the Bank’s Management Responsibilities Map remains accurate and up to date.

Requirements

• Leadership & Coaching: Proven ability to effectively motivate, manage, coach, and develop a team while acting as a positive role model.
• Regulatory Expertise: Deep working knowledge of relevant financial services laws, regulations, and industry best practices—specifically including BCOBS, CONC, LSB, PSD2, and SYSC ( MCOBs knowledge is advantageous).
• Risk Identification: Detailed knowledge and hands-on experience identifying key Conduct and Compliance risks, with a proactive approach to owning and overseeing emerging risks and issues.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to build relationships, influence others, and communicate effectively with senior management and committees.
• Analytical Skills & Judgement: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret business knowledge, backed by sound judgement, decision-making, and prioritisation skills to see issues through to resolution.
• Mindset & Behaviours: A naturally curious, inquisitive approach to work that questions the status quo when appropriate. Highly resilient, comfortable navigating difficult conversations, and possessing a strong willingness to share knowledge and collaborate across all product lines.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
• Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
• Life insurance at 4x your salary
• Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton
• Generous family-friendly policies
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work and Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway.

We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.

Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Starling Bank are considered without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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