Partnership Manager (Accountancy Partnerships) - SME Banking - Manchester

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 employ more than 3,000 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

Forming partnerships and generating new business is core to Starling’s growth strategy. One way is through partnerships with third parties who refer their SME clients to Starling Bank on an ongoing basis based on mutual trust with best in class customer experiences. Our Accountancy Partnership Team forms partnerships with leading Accountancy and Bookkeeping firms focused on technology (digital first) cloud adoption and offering advisory services to support their SMEs with their banking needs. We’re already officially working with over 650 firms and want to continue to grow the channel with a network exposure of over 3,000 accountants.

As Partnerships Manager you will manage, and continue to develop the accountancy channel. Working closely with the Head of Accountancy Partnerships supporting the growth, development, and retention of the channel.

• Managing a portfolio of accounting and bookkeeper partners, introducing them to Starling, and presenting how we can support their clients with our business banking and wider banking solutions.
• Supporting existing and prospective partners with onboarding support when moving their practice or additional businesses to the bank.
• Managing the relationship at a firm level, increasing our presence and awareness across their multiple accountant colleagues, stakeholders and offices.
• Being responsible for the end-to-end partner onboarding journey.
• Ongoing Education to partners, specifically our Business Account and multi-account offerings / features Starling could offer to support their clients.
• Planning and attending in person partner meetings and Zoom / Phone meetings.
• Supporting and delivering ongoing partner education for new and existing partners (providing a detailed understanding of Starling’s products and services, eligibility criteria / risk appetite, and application journey to partners).
• Supporting in the creation and reviewing of product or feature updates required for existing partner marketing materials - partner guides.
• Supporting the ongoing compliance requirements for existing partner review cycles.
• Attending and representing Starling at Accounting industry conferences, partner networking, SME events - conferences, and awards.
• Supporting accounting events strategy and management of event merchandise and stock requirements, show set up.
• Providing Product feedback on most requested features.
• Build strong senior relationships with key organisations in the wider accountancy industry / ecosystem, including software providers (e.g. Xero and Quickbooks) and industry bodies (e.g. ICAEW, ACCA, AAT, ICB UK, IFA, IAB) to develop awareness, credibility, and trust.
• Speaking at events, roundtables and webinars and team meetings alongside colleagues and third-party organisations, where appropriate.

• Previous Partnership Development, Sales, or Relationship and Account Management experience. Preferably SME Banking experience / Accounting technology (SaaS) background.
• Have a consultative approach to sales and account management.
• Ensuring we deliver an excellent end-to-end partner and customer experience – generating high volume of referrals and supporting partner onboarding queries.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and evidence of sales and account management in similar industry roles.
• Proven experience in successful B2B sales management whilst always factoring Starling’s risk and reputation.
• A comprehensive understanding of SMEs and the role of advisors and professional service firms play in supporting the economy, in particular accountants and bookkeepers.
• Strong understanding of the Accounting tech ecosystem - e.g. Xero, Quickbooks, Freeagent, Sage, DEXT.
• Previous CRM (Salesforce preferably) and portfolio management experience.
• Data, forecasting and reporting skills.
• Willingness to travel across the UK to visit key partners (in person) likely to be correlated to a region they are based.
• Comfortable leading and supporting partner meetings - face to face and digitally over Zoom or phone calls.
• Strong communication and presenting skills for in-person meetings, educational webinars and industry events.

• 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.

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.