Advisory Team Lead

Location:

London, Cardiff or Southampton

Reporting to:

Head of Employee Relations & Advisory

Closing date:
Friday 31st July, 12pm

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

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.

In this role, you will lead and line manage our team of People Advisors, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, consistent, and efficient first-line advice to employees and line managers. You will act as the escalation point for complex advisory and operational enquiries, while driving a culture of continuous improvement across all People processes.

Working in close partnership with People Partners and Centres of Expertise (CoEs), you will champion a seamless, high-touch People experience across the organisation.

Role Scope:

• Team Leadership & Management:
  Direct line management of the People Advisory team. You will coach, mentor, and develop team members, managing workloads and ensuring the team hits its service delivery goals.
• Escalation & Complex Advisory:
  Act as the senior escalation point for multi-stranded or high-risk employee enquiries.
• Process Excellence:
  Own and drive the continuous improvement of broad People processes, partnering with CoEs to ensure efficiency, scalability, and an exceptional employee experience.
• Data & Insights:
  Analyse team caseloads and people data to identify trends, using these insights to proactively recommend proactive interventions, training, or policy updates to People Partners.
• Stakeholder Management:
  Build strong, trusting relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, ensuring the Advisory function aligns with wider business objectives.

Risk:

• Risk Mitigation & Quality Assurance:
  Establish quality control checks across team caseloads to ensure advice aligns with current employment law, internal policies, and regulatory standards, minimising legal and operational risk.
• Audit Readiness & Governance:
  Ensure all employee data, case notes, and process documentation are meticulously maintained in line with GDPR and internal audit requirements, managing the team’s risk register as required.
• Regulated Environment Expertise:
  Robust knowledge of compliance and risk management practices specific to the Financial Services sector (e.g., FCA/PRA conduct rules and SMCR frameworks).
• High Risk-Awareness: A proven track record of handling sensitive, high-risk employee relations cases with discretion, ensuring commercial risk is balanced with a fair employee experience.
• Meticulous Record-Keeping:
  Strong attention to detail regarding data governance, compliance tracking, and maintaining robust audit trails.

Knowledge:

• Leadership
  
  Experience:
  
  Proven experience leading, managing, or mentoring a team within a HR/People function, with a track record of developing junior team members.
• Advanced Advisory Expertise:
  Extensive experience in a fast-paced HR/People advisory role, with deep knowledge of UK employment law, HR best practices, and complex case management.
• Financial Services
  
  Experience:
  
  Deep understanding of working within the regulated Financial Services sector.
• Process & Change Orientation:
  Experience in reviewing, refining, and implementing HR processes to improve efficiency and service delivery.
• Agility & Organisation:
  Exceptional ability to prioritise team deliverables and manage competing deadlines in a…