Director of Reward

Hello, we’re Starling.

Banking was broken – so we decided to fix it. The vision? Fast technology, fair service and honest values. All at the tap of a phone, all the time. We built Britain’s first digital bank. One hard-won banking licence later, we set about giving people a new way to spend, save and manage their money (and take better care of the planet, too). We’re changing banking for good. Back then, we were obsessed with unravelling the knotty world of finance and solving people’s problems rather than selling them stuff. We still are.

Since then, we’ve grown. A lot. Over four million accounts (and four account types!). A team of thousands. Headquartered in London with offices in Cardiff, Dublin, Manchester and Southampton. Seven years voted Which? Recommended Provider and Britain's Best Banking Brand. Still zero branches. Our culture is open, inclusive and focused on solving real customer problems, with an emphasis on doing the right thing, even when it’s not always the easy thing. From our approach to working together and sustainability to how we build our products, our decisions need to make the world – and Starling – a better place to be. Everyone at Starling is essential to our mission, which is really quite simple: to solve our customer’s problems – and build the best bank in the world!

And now we're providing Starling to other banks, via a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) proposition through our subsidiary Engine, using the proprietary technology platform that it uses to power our own bank.

As Starling accelerates its growth both in the UK and internationally, we are seeking a strategic Director of Reward to lead our Compensation, Benefits, and Recognition agenda. This pivotal role will ensure our reward strategies attract, retain, and motivate the right talent while maintaining full regulatory compliance. You will partner with senior leaders across the business to design and implement a cohesive total reward framework that supports our ambitious growth plans, reinforces our culture, and drives high performance.

This role is critical in positioning the Group as an employer of choice globally - delivering innovative and scalable solutions across pay, benefits, and recognition that meet the needs of our diverse workforce.

What you’ll be doing

• Define and execute reward strategy: Lead the design and implementation of the Group’s total reward framework, aligned with business strategy and growth ambitions.
• Ensure regulatory compliance: Own governance of all reward programmes, ensuring compliance with UK regulations (FCA/PRA) and readiness for international expansion.
• Drive employee engagement: Develop innovative recognition and incentive initiatives that reinforce company values, celebrate performance, and motivate teams.
• Enable international scalability: Prepare reward programmes to be adaptable across geographies, balancing global consistency with local market requirements.
• Measure and evaluate impact: Track and report on the effectiveness of reward programmes, including engagement, participation, retention, and performance outcomes, using data-driven insights to continuously improve offerings.
• Provide insight and data-driven recommendations: Use analytics, benchmarking, and market trends to inform reward decisions and continuously improve programmes.

Experience & Background

• Proven experience designing and delivering total reward strategies, ideally in a regulated organisation in financial services.
• Demonstrable knowledge of UK reward legislation and regulatory frameworks, with exposure to international markets a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of how reward drives business performance.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance competitive reward with cost and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent analytical and modelling skills to evaluate financial impacts of reward decisions.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to clearly articulate reward philosophy and programmes to business leaders and employees.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and implement initiatives at scale.
• Experience leading change initiatives

Success metrics:

• Reward strategy alignment: Reward programmes clearly aligned with business strategy, growth targets, and culture.
• Regulatory compliance: Full compliance with FCA/PRA and other relevant jurisdiction requirements.
• Talent attraction & retention: High-quality hires and low attrition in critical and high-performing roles.
• Employee engagement & recognition: Positive feedback on pay fairness, benefits, and recognition initiatives (measured via surveys, participation, and uptake).
• Scalability & readiness for growth: Reward programmes successfully adapted and implemented for international expansion, with smooth governance and clear oversight.

• 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
• 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
• 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 and Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships

About Us

You may be put off applying for a role because you don't tick every box. Forget that! While we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we're always open to discussion. So, if you're excited about working with us, but aren’t sure if you're 100% there yet, get in touch anyway.

We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking – and that starts with our brilliant team. Whatever came before, we’re proud to bring together people of all backgrounds and experiences who love working together to solve problems.

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.

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