Head of Risk and Control (1LoD Operations)

Starling Bank; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital bank is seeking a strategic leader for the role of Head of Risk and Control – Operations. This critical position focuses on enhancing the 1st Line control agenda across operations, ensuring a resilient and well-governed environment that prioritizes customer centricity and compliance. The role involves close collaboration with payment, lending, and customer servicing teams to manage risks and embed controls effectively.

Benefits

Company-enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme

Private Medical Insurance with Vitality

25 days holiday plus public holidays

An extra day’s holiday for your birthday

Life Insurance at 4x your salary

16 hours of paid volunteering time

Generous family-friendly policies

Incentivised refer a friend scheme

Perkbox membership for discounts

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading operational risk in a regulated UK bank.
• Deep understanding of FCA/PRA requirements.
• Strong knowledge of core operational areas such as payments and financial crime.

Responsibilities

• Own and embed the 1st Line Risk and Control Framework across Operations.
• Develop risk dashboards and ensure resilience.
• Build a high-performing team and coach the wider operations leadership.

Skills

Analytical

Data-Driven

Effective Communication

Leadership

Strategic Mindset

Education

Degree in a relevant field

Job description

About Starling Bank

At Starling, we are on a mission to provide people with a fairer, smarter, and more human alternative to traditional banks. We are building a leading digital bank, driven by fast technology, fair service, and honest values. Our vision is to create a banking industry that serves everyone, which we accomplish by developing best-in-class proprietary technology, offering an exceptional customer experience, and establishing a strong, sustainable business.

Our five core values – Listen, Keep It Simple, Do The Right Thing, Own It, and Aim for Greatness – are at the heart of everything we do, guiding our strategy and shaping our culture. We're a branchless, largely paperless bank, committed to responsible banking, sustainability, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Hybrid working: All Starling Bank colleagues spend a minimum of 10 days per month in the office with flexibility to work the rest from home.

The Opportunity:

Team: 1LoD Risk and Control

Reporting To: Chief Control Officer

Closing Date: Friday 11th July, 12pm

Location: We're open to the successful candidate being based from either Cardiff, Manchester or London.

Role Purpose:

As our Operations continue to scale and evolve, we are looking for an experienced and strategic leader to step into the role of Head of Risk and Control – Operations. This is a critical opportunity to lead the 1st Line control agenda across our internal operations, helping us maintain a resilient, customer-centric, well-governed environment that is ‘Fit for the Future’.

You’ll work closely with teams across Payments, Customer Servicing, Lending, Financial Crime Ops, and Onboarding, helping to identify and manage risk, embed controls, and build operational maturity. This is a chance to shape our control culture from within — and deliver tangible impact as we grow.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Own and embed the 1st Line Risk and Control Framework across Operations (Payment Operations, Customer Servicing and Complaints, Financial Assistance, Business Banking Operations, and Customer Onboarding & KYC, and Financial Crime Operations) aligned with Enterprise Risk Framework and regulatory expectations.
• Own operational RCSAs, KRIs, control design and testing, and incident remediation frameworks.
• Develop risk dashboards and real-time control environment metrics.
• Ensure operational areas are resilient and ready for regulatory scrutiny (Consumer Duty, SM&CR, SS1/21).
• Provide challenge and oversight on operational change, AI adoption, outsourcing and workflow automation.
• Build a high-performing team and coach the wider operations leadership on risk capability and culture.
• Work with Compliance and Legal to interpret and translate regulatory obligations and reporting requirements into operational and actionable working practices
• Support regulatory engagements, s166s, and independent assurance reviews.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience (10+ yrs) leading operational risk or control function in a regulated UK bank, preferably digital or high-growth.
• Deep understanding of FCA/PRA requirements, particularly around Consumer Duty, SM&CR, and Resilience.
• Strong knowledge of core operational areas (payments, servicing, lending, financial crime).
• Proven track record building 1LOD control functions and influencing executive stakeholders.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate risk frameworks into practical controls.
• Confident operator at Executive level.
• Analytical and data-driven, able to create forward-looking insights and early warning mechanisms.
• Effective communication and leadership ability to drive results - in particular, candidate should be able to lead and drive results across products and functions absence of reporting line
• Highly resilient, pragmatic, and delivery-focused in fast-paced or ambiguous environments.

Why Join Starling?

• Make an Impact: Work on projects that directly shape the future of banking and improve the financial lives of our customers. Starling is technology-led, and you'll have the freedom to accomplish your goals in innovative ways.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a collaborative, empowered, and forward-thinking team. We encourage experimentation, ownership, and a relentless focus on "doing the right thing.”
• Growth and Development: We are committed to your professional growth, offering opportunities to learn new technologies, take on new challenges, and own interesting things from day one.
• A Bank That Cares: We're a Living Wage employer, committed to flexible working, and dedicated to creating a fair, open, and safe working environment with compassion and inclusion at its core.
• Comprehensive Benefits: We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Company-enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme (7% employer contribution)
• Private Medical Insurance with Vitality including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton.
• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
• Life Insurance at 4x your salary.
• 16 hours of paid volunteering time a year.
• Ability to buy or sell annual leave.
• Generous family-friendly policies.
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• Incentivised refer a friend scheme
• 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, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasingOur Commitment to Equality

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. When you provide us with this information, you are doing so at your own consent, with full knowledge that we will process this personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice. By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank will collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we will process, where we will process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.