Employee Relations Partner

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 are a branchless, largely paperless bank, committed to responsible banking, sustainability, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

Opportunity

Location: London

Hybrid working: All Starling colleagues spend a minimum of 10 days per month in the office with flexibility to work the rest from home.

Closing Date: Wednesday 29th April, 10am

We are looking for an experienced Employee Relations Partner to support the delivery of a specialist Employee Relations service to the bank. The ideal candidate will have around 4+ years experience working in a specialised Employee Relations role within Financial or Professional Services. The main focus of this role will be supporting leaders with complex casework.

The role represents a fantastic opportunity to join a vibrant institution and to help promote positive employee relations at the bank, ensuring compliance with its policies, regulatory obligations and applicable employment laws.

Responsibilities

• Providing end‑to‑end support to managers on employee relations issues, including employee grievances, investigations, disciplinary matters, whistleblowing and complex performance and absence management.
• Advising on the interplay with the FCA's Conduct Rules and Senior Manager & Certification Regime.
• Providing employee relations support on organisational change programmes.
• Proactively identifying areas for improvement within the function, and supporting the embedding of best‑practice ways of working.
• Acting as an escalation point for People Partners and People Advisors on complex ER matters.
• Supporting the wider team in the delivery of the ER strategy.
• Assisting in the development of the governance framework, working closely with the Compliance, Legal and Reward teams, in relation to employee conduct issues.
• Assisting with selected policy drafting and review in light of any employment law and/or regulatory changes.
• Supporting the design and delivery of Employee Relations training to the business and the wider People team.
• Supporting accurate reporting of Employee Relations data to enable robust ER analytics, including trend analysis and insights.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience as an employee relations specialist, managing complex cases in either an HR or legal team, or as a lawyer with employment law and ER experience.
• Experience supporting organisational change and transformation programmes.
• Very strong understanding of UK employment law.
• Experience in the financial services sector is desirable.
• Experience or awareness of handling regulatory issues in the context of the SMCR, conduct, and remuneration matters.
• Capable of working in a fast‑paced environment and keen to grow and develop within the organisation.

Benefits

• Make an Impact: Work on projects that directly shape the future of banking and improve the financial lives of our customers.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a collaborative, empowered, and forward‑thinking team that encourages 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 are 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.
• 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 4× your salary.
• 16 hours of paid volunteering time a year.
• Ability to buy or sell annual leave.
• Generous family‑friendly policies.
• Incentivised refer‑a‑friend scheme.
• Perkbox membership providing retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks.
• Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, salary‑sacrifice gym partnerships and electric vehicle (EV) leasing.
• Our Commitment to Equality.

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. When you provide us with this information, you are doing so at your own consent, with full knowledge that we will process this personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice. By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank will collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we will process, where we will process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.