Head of Partnerships

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. This is an exciting opportunity to join Starling's Customer and Banking team to help manage our key partner and supplier relationships.

Reporting to the MD Payments, Cards and FX, as our Head of Partnerships, you will cover two important activities - firstly, act as our point of business development, exploring and triaging new partnership opportunities. Secondly, manage our existing suppliers; card schemes, payment providers and credit bureaus, working alongside the existing SMEs within the business. Key Responsibilities Include:

Business DevelopmentWork with the Procurement team and key SMEs within the Bank to define our partnership strategy, outlining areas of interest and developing an inbound and outbound watching briefIdentify and triage relevant partnership opportunities for the Retail Bank, Business Bank and Starling Banking Services (SBS)Work with procurement to onboard key suppliers and partners, leading on pricing and contractual discussionsManaging key suppliersWorking alongside the Procurement team, lead on complex supplier negotiations and ongoing contractual discussionsManage existing partnerships with discipline, covering contractual renewal, meeting cadence, financial reporting and other key SRM responsibilitiesEnsure the Bank has continuity of service from a contractual standpointManage supplier performance to ensure commercial outcomes and service levels are continuously metOwn partner budgeting and forecasting; ensure spend is managed to budgetsIn particular, manage complex payment scheme relationships and invoicing / fees / interchange / incentives RequirementsKey experience and competenciesPartnership evaluationBuilding longstanding relationships with suppliersCommercial mindset to fairly challenge and address contractual issuesManaging large complex contracts and suppliers, especially payment related partnersNegotiating new contractual termsProactive and self-motivated - at this stage this is an individual contributorIdeally, familiarity with managing card schemes from an issuer perspectiveHands-on, resilient and adaptable to a fast moving environmentsExcellent verbal and written communication skillsConsistently act with the highest ethical standards, ensuring decisions are always in the best interest of our customers, colleagues, and the bank.

Lead by example, fostering a culture of trust and transparency across all levelsBenefits25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)An extra day's holiday for your birthdayAnnual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off16 hours paid volunteering time a yearSalary sacrifice, company enhanced pension schemeLife insurance at 4x your salary & group income protectionPrivate Medical Insurance with VitalityHealth including mental health support and cancer care.

Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and PelotonGenerous family-friendly policiesIncentives refer a friend schemePerkbox membership giving access to retail discounts, a wellness platform for physical and mental health, and weekly free and boosted perksAccess to initiatives like Cycle to Work, Salary Sacrificed Gym partnerships and Electric Vehicle (EV) leasingAbout 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.

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