Financial Assistance Vulnerable Specialist

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 3,000 people across our London, Southampton, Cardiff and Manchester offices.

About the role:
If you have a broad and diverse background in collections and/or financial services focusing on customers with additional vulnerability needs and enjoy a challenge while not being put off by complex situations. In that case, the Financial Assistance Vulnerable Specialist role may be just for you!

What can I expect my day to day to look like?

Taking and making calls will play a big part in your role, supporting our most vulnerable customers while they experience financial difficulty as well as identifying and resolving complaints. With excellent communication and listening skills, you will have the ability to explain things clearly with an empathetic approach, tailoring each contact to the individual.

Responsibilities:

• Communicate, listen, and interact with our customers and businesses via various platforms.
• Asking open and relevant questions to help identify customers in need of support and those that are facing financial difficulties
• Recognising and supporting customers in financial/personal vulnerabilities
• Taking ownership of complex situations and complaints, maintaining professionalism and efficiency whilst always ensuring the best customer outcomes
• Demonstrate a proactive inquisitive and problem solving nature to assist our customers and the business
• Daily completion of I&E forms (Income and Expenditure Forms) where high attention to detail is a must
• Review each case to understand or customer’s overall situation to help agree the right action plan for them and for the bank
• Liaise with customers and other areas of the business to obtain information and supporting documentation
• Attention to detail is key, produce high quality written reports and recommendations to managers

Training: This will be conducted in the office over a minimum of 6 weeks, once this is completed you will move to a hybrid way of working with travel required to our Manchester office. The team will work from the office 10 days a month.

Shifts: Full time rotational shifts between 8am-8pm Monday - Friday and Saturdays 9am-5.30pm & occasional bank holidays.

Our recruitment process:

Interviewing is a two way process and we want you to have the time and opportunity to get to know us, as much as we are getting to know you! Our interviews are conversational and we want to get the best from you, so come with questions and be curious. 

Following your application being reviewed, you can expect the below:

Stage 1 - Introductory call with a Talent Acquisition Specialist

Stage 2 - Virtual interview and a scenario with two Financial Assistance Team Leads

• It is essential to have experience in Collections specialising with vulnerable customers within a Financial Services environment
• Working in a customer focused environment.
• Empathic approach when communicating with all our customers regardless of situation or circumstance.
• Able to create good outcomes and solutions for customers in arrears.
• It is preferable, but not essential to have knowledge of TEXAS, BRUCE, CARERS or other vulnerability models
• Confident handling customer complaints or complex situations.
• Remaining resilience during challenging and difficult conversations.
• Extremely adaptable and capable to work within a fast moving fintech business.
• Strong team player with a positive attitude
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal along with listening and questioning skills
• Ability to work cooperatively with other departments

• 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
• Incentives 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) 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.