Business Banking Specialist

Hello, we’re Starling. We built a new kind of bank because we knew technology had the power to help people save, spend and manage their money in a new and transformative way. We’re a fully licensed UK bank with the culture and spirit of a fast-moving, disruptive tech company. We’re a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ more than 3,500 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

Working hours and office requirements:

This is a hybrid role with a requirement to travel to the base office and other Starling offices, as well as customer premises and other relevant business locations when necessary.  Looking forward, the SME team will be available to support Monday to Friday - 8am to 8.30pm, and Saturday and Sunday (8am to 6pm). We will operate an on-call model for emergencies outside of these hours and during Bank Holidays. 

About the role:

We’re on a mission to disrupt financial services. Since we were founded in 2014 Starling Bank has grown to over 3m customers, including nearly 500,000 SME customers. Our customers have deposited over £9bn with us, and we have nearly £4bn in assets. We’re ranked number 1 for customer satisfaction in the UK, and intend to continue disrupting the UK market to improve customer experiences in banking. Our free Business Banking proposition is unique and market leading. 

As we grow our digital services to UK SMEs and provide a truly revolutionary banking experience, we need a team of business specialists who are able to support our SME customers.  This person will provide dedicated customer service to our Business Banking clients with accountability for sales, service, risk and operational delivery. This role will have both external and internal stakeholders.

Applications for this role will close on Friday, 9th May at 5pm.

Key activities will include:

• Business verification - you will talk to newly onboarded businesses and those who are updating their KYB or KYC information or changing ownership. You will understand the business and provide input into the risk assessment. You’ll ensure that Starling’s KYB is up to date and decisions are taken in line with our risk appetite. 
• You will understand Starling’s risk appetite, and apply it in your reviews, but you will also identify where we have new scenarios or cases and we need to challenge or review. You may even identify times when you want to support customers and you’ll champion changes to policy to achieve this. Using your knowledge of banking and your customers.
• You will support payment reviews, these are a time critical process and a key moment of truth for customers. You will help support the risk assessment and confirmation of checks. You will balance the customer outcome with protecting the bank and ensuring we comply with our regulatory obligations.
• You will help support customers where required. Our digital first proposition exceeds customers expectations, but sometimes they need additional support. You will provide that support and then work with the team to identify new solutions as required, to build our digital proposition further. 
• You will support other colleagues in the bank - you will get referrals involving investment round payments and potential business closures - your role in this time will be to support with customer calls, understanding the business, and material changes future plans, analysing supporting information
• Through your role you will have a unique insight into our customers, this will enable you to Identify trends & behaviour that you will feed into our feedback loops, resulting in further improvements to our proposition. 
• Build a strong KBI network through attending and organising regional networking events.  Raising brand awareness and profile through building strong key links with external professionals and business owners.

Responsibilities:

• Optimising the existing relationships by assisting in the delivery of solutions, products, and services appropriate to meet customer needs
• Face to face meetings with our Business Banking clients
• Seeking new opportunities and nurturing existing relationships to identify new business opportunities
• Deepen understanding of the client through proactive risk assessments and customer due diligence reviews
• Have strong understanding of corporate onboarding process and be hands on in supporting new and existing clients’ in their onboarding journeys with Starling
• Provide end-to-end support for customers and resolve complex queries
• Own, manage and resolve customer enquiries within agreed timescales, ensuring the best possible outcome and dealing with feedback effectively
• Be an SME business expert.  Understand business banking, Starling products, and fintech movement
• Have key knowledge of local business's challenges/ fears/ problems and the possible solutions.  Be a subject matter expert
• Understand the wider macro economic landscape impacting businesses and aware of the competitive landscape for businesses in their respective region
• Being an advocate/brand ambassador for Starling Bank and develop the bank’s profile in the wider community.

• Experience of working in relevant environment/s, i.e. Business/Corporate Banking, Financial Services
• Be able to speak confidently to key stakeholders within our businesses, driven by a desire to give a better banking experience.  
• You will be supported to offer the best banking service to SMEs and to help them focus on building their business
• You’ll be resolute in improving our proposition by working with our colleagues. You will want a chance to make a difference within Starling
• You will care passionately about businesses and want to understand the customers you meet
• You will be a team worker. You will work closely with your team and you will work closely with your colleagues in the bank. 

• 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 & group income protection
• 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
• Incentives 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) leasing