Senior Legal Counsel (Employment) - London

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

Job description

Senior Legal Counsel (Employment) - London

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 3,500 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices. We are looking for a senior employment lawyer to support the business on all contentious and non-contentious employment matters. The role will report directly into the team’s Managing Counsel. We are happy to consider applications from candidates who will be able to commute to any of our offices. You will have significant influence and exposure across the bank, with the responsibility of managing an employment lawyer in the team. The role represents a fantastic opportunity to join a vibrant institution and to help shape the bank’s future.

Your work will include:

1. Advising the People team and, sometimes, wider business on all aspects of employment law, including on employment related regulatory issues such as the application of the SMCR and FCA’s Code of Conduct;
2. Providing, and managing the provision of, legal support to the bank throughout the entire employee life cycle, including policy, hiring (including executive service agreements), dismissals, grievances and appeals, disciplinaries, settlement agreements and employment status matters;
3. Providing, and managing the provision of, legal support to the corporate and commercial legal functions, including on the application of TUPE;
4. Advising on regulatory issues associated with financial services and banking;
5. Managing international projects for the bank’s subsidiary, Engine by Starling, either in EMEA or globally, including working with external counsel;
6. Working with the bank’s Reward team to advise on compensation arrangements, including on the operation of malus and clawback, deferred compensation arrangements and remuneration policies;
7. Managing multiple projects and supporting colleagues to ensure business and enterprise-wide initiatives are executed in a timely and accurate manner;
8. Providing employment law training to the People team and wider business;
9. Instructing and working with outside counsel where necessary on specialist matters.

Requirements

1. Excellent legal training and 6-10 years’ PQE gained at a law firm and/or in-house;
2. Very strong technical employment law experience;
3. Experience of banking and financial services;
4. Experience handling regulatory issues in the context of the SMCR, conduct, remuneration matters, and regulatory inquiries;
5. Capable of working in a fast-paced environment and keen to grow and develop within the organisation.

In-house experience in financial services would be preferred, but is not essential for the right candidate. PQE is a guide only.

Benefits

1. 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
2. An extra day’s holiday for your birthday
3. Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
4. 16 hours paid volunteering time a year
5. Salary sacrifice, company enhanced pension scheme
6. Life insurance at 4x your salary & group income protection
7. Private Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care
8. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton
9. Generous family-friendly policies
10. Incentivised refer a friend scheme
11. Perkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perks
12. Access to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasing

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.