Head of Financial Crime Operations

Head of Financial Crime Operations

Location: Southampton & Cardiff

Reporting to: Director of Specialist Banking Operations

Closing date: Friday, 6th November at 5pm

About Starling 

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.

Working Hours: You will work a 37.5 hour week, with shifts between 9am - 5:30pm Monday - Friday.

Hybrid working: All Starling colleagues spend a minimum of 10 days per month in the office, with flexibility to work the rest from home. You will also be expected to travel to other office locations depending on business needs.

The Opportunity:

The Head of Financial Crime Operations holds end-to-end accountability for Starling's financial crime operational delivery across multiple teams, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF), and Customer Due Diligence (CDD/EDD)

As an Experienced People Leader in the First Line of Defence, this role leads a team of senior professionals and team managers, influences strategic direction, builds a shared sense of purpose, and ensures robust governance aligned with departmental strategy and the Bank's Risk Appetite.

What You'll Do:

AML, CTF & Due Diligence Operations

• 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.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• 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

Operational Leadership & Efficiency

• 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

Budgeting & Functional Governance

• 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.

Requirements

What You'll Bring:

• 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.

Behaviours & Competencies:

• Strong people leadership across multiple teams and layers, building a shared sense of purpose and driving advanced coaching, team development, and strategic planning.
• Accountable, resilient, and customer-focused leadership style that role models Starling Group values and makes difficult decisions with full transparency.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to champion simplicity across functions, encourage external input and disruptive thinking, and raise the bar for strategic performance.
• Excellent communication and listening skills, creating a safe environment to share feedback, surface issues, and resolve conflicting requirements across functions.

Benefits

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 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