Product Risk Manager - SME

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.

Reporting to the Head of Product Risk and Governance, the Product Risk Manager - SME will support the development of the SME banking product risk culture, governance, policy, controls and MI, to help ensure good outcomes for customers. Additionally, this role also involves supporting the SME segment’s financial crime and operational risk objectives.

Key Accountabilities:

• Supporting SME banking to execute its strategy in line with product risk appetite and demonstrate compliance.
• Help with empowering product teams to build compliant products through early involvement and combination of customer centricity with adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Support with ensuring all new product initiatives are steered through the governance structure and that we move swiftly and safely.
• Support with ensuring existing and back book product reviews are completed by 1st line product owners at the right cadence and to the requisite standard.
• Assist the SME business in delivering good outcomes and maintaining a strong control environment - with regular documentation, calibration, review, testing and timely action completion.
• Support with ensuring relevant, up to date and accurate MI to measure and monitor risk and report to relevant committees.
• Assist with maturing and embedding training and development framework for product risk.
• Help 1st line solution/product owners execute their risk management responsibilities.
• Engage and collaborate with Second Line risk across the bank and Group Head of Internal Audit to create a coherent risk view.

Experience:

• Experience in Banking or Financial Services, ideally within Business/SME banking.
• Familiarity with managing SME product risk in 1st LOD environments covering Conduct Risk topics across product governance, marketing and finprom, vulnerable customers, complaints etc.
• Background in a regulated financial institution.
• Proven ability to apply regulatory and data-driven insights to solve business problems.
• Skilled in analysing and interpreting complex regulatory frameworks, including overlapping or conflicting regulations.
• Adaptable and solutions-focused in fast-changing environments.
• Brings curiosity and a collaborative mindset to driving outcomes.
• Commercially aware, with sound insight into business priorities and strategic drivers.
• Thinks ahead and plans strategically.
• Works effectively with stakeholders at all levels to achieve shared goals.

Skills:

• Demonstrates advanced analytical thinking and problem-solving.
• Builds effective relationships and communicates with clarity and impact.
• Applies numerical reasoning, analytical capability, and digital fluency in decision making.
• Communicates clearly and effectively in both written and verbal formats.
• Maintains high standards of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Takes initiative, learns quickly, and manages competing priorities with ease.
• Thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
• Communicates with assurance and clarity across all levels.
• Embraces change, demonstrates resilience, and seeks continuous development.

Benefits:

• 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.