Principal Security Programme Manager & Technical Lead - Engine by Starling

The Engine; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Engine by Starling is seeking a senior, highly adaptable Principal Security Programme Manager & Technical Lead to partner with our BISO. You will shape the security roadmap, align with CTO Office, and drive strategic security initiatives across engineering, SecOps, and risk teams.

In this hybrid role, you will balance executive security vision with hands-on delivery, champion AI security readiness, and ensure compliance with ISO27001, SOC 1/2, PCI DSS, and DORA while scaling our fintech platform

Responsibilities

• Roadmap Architecture & Scaling: Partner directly with the BISO to evaluate, refine, and drive the security roadmap, proactively proposing strategic updates to support rapid business growth.

Job description

We are seeking a senior, highly adaptable Principal Security Programme Manager & Technical Lead to serve as a key technical partner to our Business Information Security Officer (BISO). In this high-visibility role, you will help shape, refine, and execute our strategic security roadmap as we rapidly scale our global fintech ecosystem. You will bridge executive security vision with practical technical delivery-guiding core security initiatives that intersect with the CTO Office while collaborating daily with engineering, SecOps, threat and vulnerability management, and broader group functions. You will also champion secure innovation, ensuring our security posture keeps pace with emerging technologies like AI while embedding technical compliance across key financial standards. This is a balanced role for a collaborative builder and strategist: you will be equally comfortable influencing engineering peers and designing future-state security controls as you are taking direct ownership to deliver technical milestones.

Responsibilities

• Roadmap Architecture & Scaling: Partner directly with the BISO to evaluate, refine, and drive the security roadmap, proactively proposing strategic updates to support rapid business growth.
• Cross-Functional Execution: Lead core security projects, aligning initiatives across the CTO Office, engineering leads, SecOps, and threat/vulnerability management.
• AI Security Readiness: Define and roll out practical security guardrails, risk assessments, and safe-use practices for AI/LLM adoption across engineering and business units.
• Compliance & Governance Alignment: Ensure technical security controls natively satisfy key regulatory frameworks-including ISO 27001, ISO42001, SOC 1/2, PCI DSS & 3DS, CSA C-STAR, and DORA.
• Pragmatic Technical Advisory: Translate high-level security requirements into actionable, practical guidance for engineering teams without creating delivery bottlenecks.
• Hands-on Delivery: Drive critical technical work streams directly when needed, taking full ownership of project milestones from inception through to operational handover.

About Engine

At Engine by Starling, we are on a mission to find and work with leading banks all around the world who have the ambition to build rapid growth businesses on our technology. Engine is Starling's software-as-a-service (SaaS) business-the technology that was built to power Starling-and two years ago we split out as a separate business. Starling has seen exceptional growth and success, and a large part of that is down to the fact that we have built our own modern technology from the ground up. This SaaS technology platform is now available to banks and financial institutions all around the world, enabling them to benefit from the innovative digital features and efficient back‑office processes that have helped achieve Starling's success. As a company, everyone is expected to roll up their sleeves to help deliver great outcomes for our clients. We are an engineering‑led company and we're looking for people who will be excited by the potential for Engine's technology to transform banking in different markets around the world. Our purpose is underpinned by five values: Listen, Keep It Simple, Do The Right Thing, Own It, and Aim For Greatness.

Hybrid Working

We have a Hybrid approach to working here at Engine - our preference is that you're located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we're able to interact and collaborate in person.