DescriptionAbout Starling 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.Salary: The minimum starting salary for this role is £29,000.Working Hours: You will work a 37.5 hour week, with hours between 8am - 8pm Monday - Saturday.Hybrid working: All Starling colleagues spend a minimum of 10 days per month in the office with flexibility to work the rest from home.This advert will close on Friday, 13th March at 5pm.The OpportunityThe Financial Assistance (Collections) Associate's primary purpose is to support customers and businesses approaching or experiencing financial difficulty by managing multi-channel communications. You will use your judgment to explore individual circumstances and account data, paying particular attention to customers demonstrating signs of vulnerability. By identifying tailored support and signposting where necessary, you will create solutions that deliver positive outcomes for both the customer and Starling. Key Accountabilities Include:

• Interacting with customers via a variety of channels, including digital messaging and making and receiving calls within our contact centre
• Speaking with customers and businesses that may be experiencing difficulties (defined as in arrears/excess), exploring individual circumstances and where required, undertaking financial assessments to better understand their financial position
• Use a range of information available such as account feeds, previous notes and transactional information to accurately articulate the reason for arrears/excess and inform the interaction
• Demonstrate an ability to identify potential signs of vulnerability, how to record these and signpost to both internal and external teams/organisations that can assist
• Showing understanding and empathy in our interactions with customers, creating an environment that encourages rapport, defuses tension, builds trust and reflects positively on Starling
• Using internal resources as a reference point for departmental procedures, a guide for decision making and ultimately the delivery of good outcomes for customers
• Accurately update systems and records of interactions, ensuring any commitments made to customers are actioned appropriately
• You will evaluate the full range of available options to agree a way forward based on a shared understanding of the customer's circumstances, providing clear rationale to explain the suitability of your decisions

RequirementsBehaviours & Competencies:

• Demonstrate a naturally curious and inquisitive mindset to explore and probe individual circumstances, using these insights to build genuine rapport and trust
• Apply sound judgment to the information and data gathered, evaluating all available options to agree on a fair way forward
• Maintain high standards of attention to detail by adhering to departmental processes and post-interaction strategies
• Take full ownership of your workload with a disciplined desire to manage personal productivity, maximising your availability and multi-channel activity
• Personal responsibility for your development, actively seeking and acting on feedback to constantly strive for better quality and improved outcomes for customers

Skills:

• Proactively managing customer/business debt by negotiating sustainable, long-term repayment solutions that balance recovery with customer care at the forefront
• Using active listening and targeted questioning to uncover the root cause of financial hardship and identify the best path forward
• Approaching sensitive financial conversations with genuine compassion, ensuring every customer feels heard and treated fairly
• Exercising sound judgment to reach fair, ethical outcomes that align with both regulatory standards and the customer's unique situation
• Maintaining a calm, professional, and positive demeanour while navigating complex emotive cases and high-pressure environments
• Ensuring every account history and financial statement is reviewed and updated with total precision to prevent errors
• Adhering strictly to internal policies and FCA regulations to ensure every interaction is compliant

BenefitsWhy Join Starling?

• Make an Impact: Work on projects that directly shape the future of banking and improve the financial lives of our customers. Starling is technology-led, and you'll have the freedom to accomplish your goals in innovative ways.
• Culture of Excellence: Be part of a collaborative, empowered, and forward-thinking team. We encourage experimentation, ownership, and a relentless focus on "doing the right thing."
• Growth and Development: We are committed to your professional growth, offering opportunities to learn new technologies, take on new challenges, and own interesting things from day one.
• A Bank That Cares: We're a Living Wage employer, committed to flexible working, and dedicated to creating a fair, open, and safe working environment with compassion and inclusion at its core.
• Comprehensive Benefits: We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Company-enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme (7% employer contribution)
• Private Medical Insurance with Vitality including mental health support and cancer care. Partner benefits include discounts with Waitrose, Mr&Mrs Smith and Peloton.
• 25 days holiday (plus take your public holiday allowance whenever works best for you)
• An extra day's holiday for your birthday
• Life Insurance at 4x your salary.
• 16 hours of paid volunteering time a year.
• Ability to buy or sell annual leave.
• Generous family-friendly policies.
• Annual leave is increased with length of service, and you can choose to buy or sell up to five extra days off
• Incentivised refer a friend scheme
• 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) leasingOur Commitment to Equality

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. When you provide us with this information, you are doing so at your own consent, with full knowledge that we will process this personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice. By submitting your application, you agree that Starling Bank will collect your personal data for recruiting and related purposes. Our Privacy Notice explains what personal information we will process, where we will process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over our use of your personal information.