Information Security Director

Starling is the UK’s first and leading digital bank on a mission to fix banking! Our vision is fast technology, fair service, and honest values. All at the tap of a phone, all the time.

We are about giving customers a new way to spend, save and manage their money while taking better care of the planet which has seen us become a multi-award winning bank that now employs over 2800 across five offices in London, Cardiff, Dublin, Southampton, and Manchester. Our journey started in 2014, and since then we have surpassed 3.5 million accounts (and four account types!) with 350,000 business customers. We are a fully licensed UK bank but at the heart, we are a tech first company, enabling our platform to deliver brilliant products.

Our technologists are at the very heart of Starling and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment that is all about building things, creating new stuff, and disruptive technology that keeps us on the cutting edge of fintech. We operate a flat structure to empower you to make decisions regardless of what your primary responsibilities may be, innovation and collaboration will be at the core of everything you do. Help is never far away in our open culture, you will find support in your team and from across the business, we are in this together!

The way to thrive and shine within Starling is to be a self-driven individual and be able to take full ownership of everything around you: From building things, designing, discovering, to sharing knowledge with your colleagues and making sure all processes are efficient and productive to deliver the best possible results for our customers. Our purpose is underpinned by five Starling values: Listen, Keep It Simple, Do The Right Thing, Own It, and Aim For Greatness.

About the Role

Here at Starling we are growing, and we are keen to recruit an Information Security Director as part of our continued investment in Information and Cyber Security capability. Reporting to the CISO, the Information Security Director will act as a line manager to a team of Information Security lead(s). The successful candidate will lead the continuous improvement of our Information Security capabilities.

The role will suit an ambitious information security or cyber specialist, with strong team building and leadership skills who aspires to the CISO role in the future.

What you’ll get to do

• Lead a team of subject matter experts and managers to ensure Information Security is managed effectively throughout the IT service delivery lifecycle.
• Manage and maintain the Information Security Policy Framework across Starling Bank that addresses the needs of the Bank, its customers, employees and other stakeholders in line with relevant legislation and industry standards.
• Oversee the Bank’s Information and Cyber Security systems, processes and procedures, and optimise reporting of identified threats and vulnerabilities.
• Manage the Bank’s developing Information Security and Cyber Maturity Framework, including security controls assessment, and mapping of the plan to attain accreditation, e.g. ISO/IEC 27001.
• Maintain the Information Security Risk Register and ensure coherence with the Bank’s Risk Management framework.
• Act as an Information Security point of contact for Business Continuity and Crisis Management Planning; this includes responsibility for initiation and execution of cyber business impact analysis.
• Oversee Cyber Incident Response and ensure coherence with the broader IT response capability.
• Liaise with external bodies and organisations to keep abreast of emerging trends, technologies and legislation that have an impact on Information Security.
• Assist as necessary to investigate security breaches and pursue associated disciplinary and legal matters.
• Share knowledge and provide guidance on internal bank first line related processes.
• Take responsibility and do the right thing for customers, colleagues and partners.

Requirements

You will:

• have previous experience in a similar role leading, developing and motivating a team of subject matter experts and other managers in Cyber Security
• have previous experience working in a complex IT organisation encompassing service delivery, application development and IT infrastructure.
• Financial Services or Fintech experience would be valuable
• an understanding of best practice within Information Security and risk management including standards such as ISO/IEC 27001, NIST, Cyber Essentials and COBIT.
• an understanding of legislation and regulations that impact information Security. E.g. Data Protection Act and GDPR, Freedom of Information Act, PCI DSS.
• be a Self Starter with the ability to lead, inspire and drive change through an organisation.
• have the ability to be pragmatic while balancing the needs of the Bank against security.
• have an ability to think and plan strategically and systematically while recognizing the need to deliver to the business requirements.
• an understanding of current and emerging threats and countermeasures and the organisational challenges to addressing these threats.
• an understanding of Application Security threats and countermeasures.
• a good practical knowledge of security technologies and wider business solutions including Identity and access management, SIEM, remote working and cloud technologies.
• a good understanding of financial services and awareness of broader requirements.

• It would be great if you have one or more of the following qualifications, but it’s not essential;
  • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM),
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or
  • Certified Information systems Auditor.

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.

Benefits

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.

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, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasing

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.