Financial Assistance (Collections) Customer Strategy and Analytics Lead Full Time NEW

Location: Cardiff & Manchester

Reporting to: Head of Customer Strategy

Closing date: Friday 22nd June at 5pm.

About Starling

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

Working Hours: You will work a 37.5 hour week, Monday – Friday, between the hours of 9am – 5:30pm.

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

The Opportunity

The Strategy & Analytics Lead is responsible for the end-to-end design, implementation, and optimisation of customer strategies across the Customer in Financial Difficulty (CiFD) life cycle. This role combines technical analysis with strategy development to ensure customer treatments are effective, compliant, and deliver fair outcomes in line with Consumer Duty and the Bank’s risk appetite.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Development & Ownership: Own and develop end-to-end collections strategies, including drafting and maintaining 1LOD policies and procedures to meet evolving business needs.
• Analytical Skills: Design, develop, and manage models and customer segmentation frameworks to enable differentiated, insight-led treatment strategies.
• Strategy & Portfolio Monitoring: Deliver high-quality portfolio insights (e.g., roll rates, cure rates), identifying trends, risks, and macroeconomic patterns to inform proactive strategy enhancements.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all strategies, policies, and analytical models comply with FCA regulatory expectations, Model Risk Management frameworks, and Consumer Duty requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Conduct gap analyses and process reviews to identify areas for improvement, championing a culture of continuous enhancement in customer treatments.
• Stakeholder Management: Translate complex analytical outputs and data into clear, actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders and decision forums.

Requirements

Technical Experience

• Proven experience in Collections, Recoveries, Credit Risk, or Financial Assistance within a UK retail banking environment.
• Experience in managing large, complex datasets and developing analytical or predictive models.
• Deep understanding of the Customers in Financial Difficulty (CiFD) journey, including pre-arrears, forbearance, default, and recovery processes.
• Experiencing using a Data Visualisation tool.

Skills & Competencies:

• Data Proficiency: Ability to translate data into meaningful reports with high attention to detail.
• Strategic Thinking: Experience in designing and implementing end-to-end strategies and segmentation design.
• Communication: Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior decision-makers.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong familiarity with FCA expectations regarding Collections, Recoveries, and Consumer Duty.

Benefits

Why Join Starling?

• Make an Impact: Work on projects that directly shape the future of banking and improve the financial lives of our customers. Starling is technology-led, and you’ll have the freedom to accomplish your goals in innovative ways.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a collaborative, empowered, and forward-thinking team. We encourage 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’re 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.
• Comprehensive Benefits: We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• 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 4x your salary.
• 16 hours of paid volunteering time a year.
• Ability to buy or sell annual leave.
• Generous family-friendly policies.
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• Incentivised refer a friend scheme
• 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, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasingOur 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.