Director of Governance – UK Bank

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 more than 3,500 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

Role overview:

Reporting to the Group Company Secretary, we are seeking a Director of Governance – UK Bank to lead a dedicated team responsible for the effective operation of the Starling Bank Limited board and executive risk committee framework. This role ensures compliance with PRA and FCA requirements and promotes high standards of corporate governance.

You will be passionate about corporate governance, continuously seeking improvement, and thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. This is a senior position working closely with board members and senior leadership. You will lead by example and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to excellence.

As a skilled communicator, you will play a critical role in shaping and executing the Bank’s corporate governance strategy, also supporting the broader Group Company Secretariat strategy. Strong regulated financial services and/or banking experience is essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading and developing a high-performance corporate governance team of four, with one direct report (Senior Assistant Company Secretary – UK Bank).
• Working with the Group Company Secretary and Deputy Company Secretary to provide high-quality company secretariat support to the Starling Bank Board.
• Leading company secretariat support for the Starling Bank Board Risk Committee, preparing agendas, collating, reviewing and distributing papers, preparing high-quality minutes, and maintaining timely information flows with senior management.
• Supporting annual effectiveness reviews of board and executive level risk committees, ensuring continuous improvement in governance standards.
• Monitoring and advising on corporate governance trends, emerging regulatory developments and industry best practice.
• Contributing to the production of the Group Annual Report and Accounts from a Bank perspective.

Requirements

Qualifications

• A qualified chartered secretary (ACG, FCG or equivalent) with proven senior level governance experience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in regulated financial services. UK banking experience is preferred but not essential.

Experience

• Deep knowledge of UK corporate governance standards, company law and UK regulatory frameworks (FCA, PRA, SMCR etc).
• Proven track record of engaging with board members and senior executives in a strategic governance role, designing and refining corporate governance processes, and maintaining their alignment to strategy and business operating models.
• Strong leadership skills with experience in building and managing governance teams.
• Excellent minute-taking skills with the ability to write clear, accurate and concise minutes in short order, balancing different stakeholder perspectives.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills with the ability to operate at the highest levels of an organisation.
• Proven ability to work in a fast paced or high growth environment.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail, with an unwavering commitment to accuracy and maintaining high standards of record-keeping.
• Sound judgement and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.

Key Behaviours

• Proactive and solution-oriented, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, able to build strong relationships across diverse teams.
• Resilient and adaptable to changing priorities and regulatory environments.
• Comfortable working in a small team where the focus is on delivery and execution excellence.

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.

By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank may collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we may process, where we may process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.

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