Senior Legal Counsel - SBL Legal

Hello, we’re Starling.

Banking was broken – so we decided to fix it. The vision? Fast technology, fair service and honest values. All at the tap of a phone, all the time. We built Britain’s first digital bank. One hard-won banking licence later, we set about giving people a new way to spend, save and manage their money (and take better care of the planet, too). We’re changing banking for good. Back then, we were obsessed with unravelling the knotty world of finance and solving people’s problems rather than selling them stuff. We still are.

Since then, we’ve grown. A lot. Over four million accounts (and four account types!). A team of thousands. Headquartered in London with offices in Cardiff, Dublin, Manchester and Southampton. Seven years voted Which? Recommended Provider and Britain's Best Banking Brand. Still zero branches. Our culture is open, inclusive and focused on solving real customer problems, with an emphasis on doing the right thing, even when it’s not always the easy thing. From our approach to working together and sustainability to how we build our products, our decisions need to make the world – and Starling – a better place to be. Everyone at Starling is essential to our mission, which is really quite simple: to solve our customer’s problems – and build the best bank in the world!

And now we're providing Starling to other banks, via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) proposition through our subsidiary Engine, using the proprietary technology platform that it uses to power our own bank.

As Senior Legal Counsel - SBL Legal, you’ll primarily primarily manage and work on retail financial products and services.

It's a fantastic opportunity to join a friendly, dynamic team, work on a broad mix of initiatives, and make your mark at one of the UK's most exciting fintechs.

What you'll be doing

• Providing expert legal advice on retail banking products, consumer credit and payments propositions, and strategic initiatives. From concept through to implementation, for both retail consumers and SME businesses.
• Interpreting regulatory change and translating it into practical, commercially focused advice on the impact across the business.
• Horizon-scanning for upcoming regulatory developments and helping the business prepare early.
• Identifying and assessing areas of legal and regulatory risk in line with the enterprise risk management framework, balancing commercial objectives with the delivery of good customer outcomes.
• Attending governance fora and providing legal input into key decisions and approvals.
• Supporting product and engineering squads day-to-day, giving them clear, pragmatic guidance they can act on.
• Working alongside Compliance, Financial Crime and Risk (second and third lines), and engaging with regulators (FCA/PRA) where required.
• Managing external counsel and panel firms, including instructions and budget, where appropriate.

Requirements

• UK-qualified lawyer with a strong academic record, excellent legal training, and 5+ years PQE gained at a law firm and/or in-house.
• Deep technical regulatory legal knowledge and experience of advising on the Consumer Credit Act, Financial Services and Markets Act, FCA Handbook (CONC, BCOBs, COBs, Consumer Duty) and the Payment Services Regulations.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to provide pragmatic, risk-based advice.
• Ability to work independently and proactively, reporting up as required, in a fast-paced environment;
• Excellent drafting communication and analytical skills;
• Strong attention to detail.
• Resilient, diligent, and conscientious.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with colleagues at all levels of seniority and specialism across the business.

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

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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