Information Security Lead (Security Operations)

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 4 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 Lead as part of our continued investment in Information and Cyber Security capability. Reporting to the Information Security Director - Operations, the Security Lead will act as line manager to a team of Information Security Analysts. The successful candidate will support the continuous development and delivery of the SOC’s Triage capability.

The role will suit an ambitious information security or cyber specialist, with strong team building and leadership skills who has a desire to invest their knowledge and experience into a growing function and make a measurable impact. 

What you'll get to do

• Lead a team of subject matter experts and analysts to ensure Information Security is managed and continuously improved in line with Bank policy and procedure.
• Supporting the development and progression of the Information Security Analyst team from both a technical and professional perspective.
• Support in the enhancement and continuous improvement of the Bank’s Information and Cyber Security systems, processes and procedures, and optimise reporting of identified threats and vulnerabilities.
• Act as a point escalation for Incident Response within the Security Operations team.
• Act as an Information Security SME for Business Continuity and Crisis Management Planning; this includes supporting cyber business impact analysis and tabletop exercises.
• Supporting the development of the Cyber Incident Response capability and ensuring coherence with the broader response capability.
• Assist as necessary to investigate security Incidents.
• Support and drive the continuous improvement of Response based runbooks.
• Support and drive the continuous development of Information Security Use Case creation, and automation playbooks. 
• Drive the continuous development of a 24/7 OnCall Model. 
• Working in parallel with SOC and wider security teams to increase defensive and detective controls.
• 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 Information and Cyber Security
• have previous experience working in a complex IT organisation encompassing service delivery, application development and IT infrastructure.
• An understanding of best practice within Information Security and risk management including standards such as NIST, CIS, and OWASP.
• Practical experience utilising threat analysis models such as MITRE ATT&CK to inform the prioritisation and enhancement of detective controls and the Bank’s defensive posture.
• have experience in acting as both Commander and SME during incidents and investigations.
• 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.
• 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
• GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
• GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)

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.

Interview Process

Our interviews are conversational and we want to get the best from you, so come with questions and be curious. In general you can expect the below video interviews, following a chat with one of our Talent Team:

• First Interview: 45 minutes
• Technical Interview: 90 minutes
• Final Interview: 45 minutes

Benefits

Starling technology works in a hybrid pattern both from home and one of our three offices. We’re open to applications from across the UK including fully remote, if you’re hybrid our preference is that you’re located within a commutable distance to either our London, Southampton or Cardiff office, so that we’re able to see each other and collaborate in person too.

• 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 & group income protection
• 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

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. 

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.