Starling is the UK’s first and leading digital bank on a mission to fix banking! 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. Read more about Our Story here.

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.

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.

Hybrid Working

We have a Hybrid approach to working here at Starling - our preference is that you're located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we're able to interact and collaborate in person. In Technology, we're asking that you attend the office a minimum of 1 day per week.

About the Role

As an experienced Penetration Tester at Starling, you’ll be joining an established team, working with talented cyber security professionals to ensure our services are designed, developed and operated securely.

This is a collaborative role - you’ll directly interact with multiple areas of the business to understand requirements, conduct research, perform security testing, and report issues aligned to our risk framework.

Being an internal tester, you’ll gain a strong understanding of how technology works at Starling to enable in-depth testing. You’ll also support remediation processes, seeing your findings lead to tangible security improvements.

We understand the importance of knowledge and expertise remaining current, so we’ll actively support your advancement through research and training. In turn, you’ll help us continuously improve our processes, methodologies and tools to maintain the highest standard of testing.

Responsibilities

• Scoping and performing mobile, web application, cloud and infrastructure penetration tests.
• Collaborating with engineering teams to facilitate secure development, including:
• Reviewing and analysing proposed technical solutions to identify appropriate security controls.
• Conducting code reviews of features and critical security components.
• Performing in-depth practical security testing.
• Advising on the remediation of security issues and identifying solutions to address root causes.
• Automating security testing and developing internal tooling to achieve continuous assurance.
• Identifying and implementing improvements to the team’s internal processes and procedures.
• Mentoring less-experienced team members, leading by example in technical assessments, and promoting a collaborative approach to security across Starling.

Requirements

We’re open-minded when it comes to hiring and we care more about aptitude and attitude than specific experience or qualifications.

Ideally, we would like:

• 5+ years technical information security experience.
• Experience in mobile, web application, cloud and infrastructure penetration testing.
• Technical knowledge - we don't expect mastery of every area, but are looking for a good foundation in the following domains:
• Mobile security (iOS and Android)
• Web application security
• Networking and associated protocols
• Cloud security (AWS and GCP)
• Containers and Kubernetes
• A desire to learn, and the ability to apply technical security knowledge to new and unfamiliar areas.
• Penetration testing qualifications (e.g. CREST Certified Tester, OSCP) or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience performing code reviews or code-assisted testing, particularly in Java and Go.
• Experience in automation of security testing (e.g. using Python or Go).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Interview 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. In general you can expect the below, following a chat with one of our Talent Team:

• First stage with the Penetration Testing Team Lead
• Second stage with additional members of the Penetration Testing team
• Final stage with Infosec Director and CISO

Benefits

We have a Hybrid approach to working here at Starling - our preference is that you're located within a commutable distance of one of our offices so that we're able to interact and collaborate in person. In Technology, we're asking that you attend the office a minimum of 1 day per week.

• 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 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.