Senior Director, Financial Crime Operations

Starling; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid workplace

25 days holiday

Private medical insurance

Pension (Company-enhanced)

Cycle to Work

Job summary

Starling Bank is seeking a Head of Financial Crime Operations in the UK to lead AML/CTF/CDD/EDD programs across multiple teams. The role focuses on risk-based controls, strong governance, and alignment with Starling's strategic objectives.

Hybrid work with office days and travel to other locations is expected. You will drive performance, governance and continuous improvement while partnering across Risk, Compliance, Product, Engineering and Data to deliver safe, scalable financial crime

Qualifications

• Deep subject matter expertise in UK Financial Crime regulatory guidelines, MLRs, JMLSG, PEPs, and Sanctions.
• Technical competency in understanding models, data, MI, statistical analysis, and operational workflows.
• Proven track record of managing large-scale, complex financial crime operations, customer onboarding, and risk frameworks within regulated banking.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end Operations performance and operational delivery for AML, CTF, CDD, and EDD across customer segments in line with agreed SLAs.
• Ensure alert handling and case reviews are responded to in a high-quality, timely manner, maintaining resourcing to handle workload demand and manage operational KPIs, OKRs, and KRIs.
• Lead the continuous improvement of the control environment to focus teams on taking a risk-based approach and reducing false-positive alerts.
• Maintain awareness of specific financial crime typologies unique to SME customers and partner closely with SME leadership and commercial teams to build, develop, and align financial crime capabilities and operating models specifically for SME customers.
• Recruit, manage, and develop capacity/capability to deliver a highly engaged, skilled, and sustainable workforce.
• Partner effectively across 2nd Line Risk, Compliance, Product, Engineering, and Data to embed new initiatives and regulatory updates
• Proactively identify opportunities to optimise processes, drive continuous improvements, and improve customer outcomes across Financial Crime Operations.
• Deliver consistent communication across teams and engage with operational managers to create an empowered problem-solving culture
• Identify direction based on departmental strategy, set functional goals, and hold accountability for functional results, budgeting, and full resourcing decisions.
• Navigate complex organisational challenges, including change management, and resolve significant team or functional conflicts while making risk decisions with departmental impact.

Skills

Regulatory knowledge

Data analytics

Financial crime operations leadership

Job description

Starling Bank is seeking a Head of Financial Crime Operations in the UK to lead AML/CTF/CDD/EDD programs across multiple teams. The role focuses on risk-based controls, strong governance, and alignment with Starling's strategic objectives.

Hybrid work with office days and travel to other locations is expected. You will drive performance, governance and continuous improvement while partnering across Risk, Compliance, Product, Engineering and Data to deliver safe, scalable financial crime