Risk and Controls Manager - People Team (12 month Fixed Term Contract) in Cardiff

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.

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. 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!

The Role

We are looking for a Risk and Controls Manager to join our People team on a fixed term contract for 12 months. This strategic role will support the Group Chief People Officer (GCPO) and wider People and Facilities Management teams by overseeing the governance and management of non‑financial risks, including Health & Safety, for the Starling Group.

You will partner with Risk and Control Owners to serve as a trusted advisor and create a culture of effective and consistent controls assurance, risk management, oversight, and reporting. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring Starling operates within its risk appetite while driving risk awareness in the first line.

The Risk and Controls Manager will bring robust Risk Management experience within the banking sector (first or second line), ideally with experience managing 1LoD risk for a multinational organisation. You must have a proven record of risk governance and control oversight. Experience gained in People function is an advantage, as is the ability to manage Health & Safety risk frameworks.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Risk Strategy & Governance

• 1LoD Oversight: Responsible for the ongoing monitoring and strategic oversight of the first line of defence (1LoD) People and Facilities risk and control profile.
• Health & Safety Risk Management: Lead the identification, assessment, and mitigation of Health & Safety risks, ensuring compliance with relevant safety legislation and internal policies.
• Advisory & Culture: Act as a key contributor to the ongoing development of a risk-aware culture within the 1LoD; work with Risk and Control owners by providing advice, challenge, and input on key decisions.
• Policy & Emerging Risk: Engage with 2LoD, 3LoD, and other key stakeholders on the development of policy, socialising it within the 1LoD, and overseeing embedding and adherence.

• RCSA: Support the Risk Controls Self Assessment (RCSA) process.
• Testing & Assurance: Oversee the creation and execution of 1LoD Control testing plans.
• Committee Management: Support the operation of risk governance fora and support the 1LoD risk reporting.
• Event Management: Oversee Operational Event management and reviews.
• System Maintenance: Oversee the maintenance of Risk information in the GRC system.

Requirements

• Experience & Knowledge

• Multinational Experience: Ideally, you must have experience managing 1LoD risk for a multinational organisation.
• Health & Safety: Proven ability to support and manage Health & Safety Risk Management frameworks.
• Risk Frameworks: A deep understanding of risk management frameworks, controls testing methodologies.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding of Conduct Risk, employment-related legislation, and the Consumer Duty would be an advantage.

• Stakeholder Management: A natural ability to build strong stakeholder relationships.
• Analytical Mindset: An inquisitive and analytical mind to understand risks, controls, and processes.
• Proactive: A proactive approach to managing workloads with a ‘can do’ attitude.
• Challenger: Ability to challenge the status quo.

• Proficient in Google Suite products (Docs and Sheets).
• Exposure to working within First or Second line risk.

Applications for this role will close at 5pm on January 5th.

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.
• Generous family-friendly policies.
• Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts.
• 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. We’re on a mission to radically reshape banking - and that starts with our brilliant team.

Starling Bank is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster diversity & inclusion in the workplace.