Senior Company Secretary | London, UK

Starling Bank; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job description

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're a bank, but better: fairer, easier to use and designed to demystify money for everyone. We employ more than 3,000 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Senior Company Secretary to join our dedicated team focused on delivering high-quality corporate governance and company secretarial services to the Starling Group.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about governance, continuously seeking improvement and interested in working in a fast-paced environment as part of a collaborative team. The role will give you exposure to a broad remit of governance work and the autonomy to take ownership of your workload and make improvements to processes.

The successful candidate will lead by example, frequently interacting with Board directors and members of the senior management team. As a skilled communicator, with a track record of ensuring alignment and common purpose, you will be able to manage and build relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, ensuring a clear focus on our strategic agenda.

You will have strong financial services (ideally regulated), banking and/or listed company experience. You will be expected to manage evolving regulatory expectations in respect of corporate governance, together with those derived from other sources, such as changes to company law and the UK Corporate Governance Code.

The Company Secretariat comprises eight other positions. The Senior Company Secretary will have up to three direct reports.

Key responsibilities

• To provide high-quality company secretarial and governance support to the Board Risk Committee, other subsidiary board meetings and/or executive level committees as required, ensuring meetings are effectively organised and minuted, papers are distributed in a timely manner.
• To monitor changes in relevant legislation to ensure Group governance practices comply with statutory requirements and regulatory expectations.
• To proactively seek to enhance the governance arrangements for the Group, identifying improvements and efficiencies to support the organisation.
• To provide corporate governance input for our annual report and accounts and Pillar 3 disclosures, including advising on best practice and market developments.
• To oversee accurate maintenance of the Group's statutory registers and records, ensuring filing requirements are met promptly and accurately.
• To provide senior level input for the administration of Group share schemes.
• To oversee company secretariat input for KYC, internal and external audit, assurance and regulatory information requests, ensuring timely responses thereto.
• To support the Deputy Company Secretary with the efficient and effective operation of the Company Secretariat, deputising for the Deputy Company Secretary, as required.

Requirements

• Qualified chartered secretary (ACG or FCG) or equivalent professional qualification in Law.
• Minimum 2 years' experience in a similar role or 5+ years in an Assistant Company Secretary role, ideally within a banking or regulated financial services environment but other listed company experience will be considered.
• Expert knowledge of share schemes, corporate governance, company law and financial services / banking regulations (e.g. UK Corporate Governance Code, SMCR and FCA / PRA requirements). Working knowledge of equivalent overseas requirements would be an advantage.
• Experience of senior level stakeholder engagement and management, specifically independent non-executive directors, ideally gained within a regulated firm.
• Excellent communication, influencing and analytical skills.
• Line management experience, including providing guidance and mentoring to wider team members.
• Ability to operate at pace and adapt to a fast changing internal and external environment.
• Experience of entity management software and electronic board portals.

Personal qualities and behaviours

• You will have a high level of integrity, discretion and confidentiality, with the ability to handle sensitive information appropriately.
• You will have the gravitas to liaise with directors and senior management and positively influence outcomes.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• You will have a proactive, solution-orientated approach, with the ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure with minimum supervision.
• You will be a self-motivated and collaborative team player.

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. 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.

By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank may collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we may process, where we may process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.