WP NA Risk Team Lead

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money.
Min fees. Max ease. Full speed.

Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money.

As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money.
For everyone, everywhere.

More about our mission and what we offer.

As a WP Risk Team Lead you will develop and oversee the daily operations of a team of Wise Platform Risk Specialists. Your team is responsible for mitigating risks associated with Wise Platform customers. This area has a strong focus on maintaining compliance with AML/CFT regulations, and internal policies according to Wise’s risk appetite. The WP Risk Specialists have an advanced understanding of inherent risks tied with complex business structures, various customer types and activities, country-specific risks and their appropriate mitigating strategies.

The WP Risk Team Lead is a people lead with a mindset that allows them to build processes that put our customers first while being aware of the risks surrounding the industry, specific products, and requirements set to us by regulations and partners.

Job Responsibilities
 

• Team Leadership
  Lead by example and drive a customer focused mindset across your team as well as the wider organisation. Promote a culture of ownership and accountability. Build high-performing teams that value knowledge sharing and continuous learning.

• People management
  Coach and develop a strong team of Risk Assessment Specialists. Come up with initiatives to help your team to grow their skills, behaviours, and competencies. Design and manage development plans on identified opportunities. Conducts career map check-ins and makes recommendations for promotions, salary raises, and other decisions.

• Operational management
  Identify and propose opportunities for process improvements. Collaborate with central functions and other operational teams as needed to increase operational efficiency. Provide guidance and support on complex, high-risk cases and escalations. Be on top of admin related tasks including but not limited to scheduling, training, hiring, interviewing, organising team activities, and others.

• Performance management
  Measure team KPIs and ensure performance targets and quality standards are met while maintaining focus on customer experience. Conduct regular one on one coaching sessions, usually on a weekly or biweekly basis. Run team meetings to ensure that your team is kept up to date with the latest information, share best practices and enhance overall team spirit.

• Expertise Sharing
  Be a subject matter expert in KYC and financial crime areas with the ability to train and coach your team on operational topics. Maintain a comprehensive understanding of our regulatory obligations, internal policies. Apply a risk-based approach to deterring and preventing money laundering and financial crime. Able to perform deep dives, understand root causes of problematic cases and propose solutions to senior leadership. Able to assist senior leadership with audits and developing our policies and processes. 

• Planning and execution
  Ensure key performance indicators are being met and provide insights to other stakeholders. Take full accountability in delivering your own initiatives and making sure your team is making progress on their goals.

• Stakeholder management and communication

Collaborate closely with your stakeholders ensuring clear communication and coordination of actions. Your initiatives and reports are well documented and you choose the right platforms to communicate to a wider audience in a timely manner. The documentation has a clear scope and includes potential impact in different areas. You can communicate confidently with difficult stakeholders. Proactively work on improving cross-team communication, acting as the liaison between different layers of the organization and your own team leads.

• Excellent verbal and written English skills (additional language skills are a plus) with the ability to clearly articulate your thoughts.

• A minimum of 3+ years of experience in KYC/AML, financial crime, compliance, or a related field within the financial services industry.

• At least 1-2 years of leading small to medium sized teams. 

• Great understanding of the regulatory framework surrounding KYC/AML.

• You are familiar with money laundering methods and other financial crime trends

• You can build an environment where your team is incentivised to make decisions and apply risk-based approach to their work

• You are punctual, independent, proactive and willing to get things done.

• You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organisational skills, great time management, and ability to work in a fast paced and high pressure environment.

• Ability to multi-task and take responsibility in challenging situations;

• You are capable of identifying gaps in policies and processes and providing detailed feedback, including examples when possible, through the established communication channels.

• Proven track record of taking individual ownership and responsibilities as well as being a great team-player.

• Ability to analyze and move of team’s metrics

Nice to have:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or related field

• Certifications: ICA, CAMS, or equivalent certification (EDD/AML focused)

• Experience with Correspondent Banking

• Ability to use analytics tools like, looker, superset, or other. 

Values and behavioural expectations

This isn’t just a job, it’s a revolution. 

• Visionary Leadership: Helps the team create/align with the function & team vision and set goals that are aligned with Wise’s mission. Stays up to date and embraces and drives change.

• Mission-Oriented Problem Solving: Ensures teamwork is aligned with the company mission, identifies improvement opportunities, quantifies them and ensures ownership of the solution. Helps the team identify and solve impactful problems. 

• Empowers Team Members: Adapts leadership style to support team members through coaching, guiding, and recognizing achievements and supporting career growth.

• Champions Change: Approaches change with a positive and constructive attitude. Embraces experimentation, is open to new solutions, and proactively seeks opportunities to challenge the status quo and improve processes, doesn't settle for 'good enough'. 

We get it done.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Uses core data and key metrics confidently to coach team members effectively and guide the team based on data-driven insights. 

• Accountability and Impact: Holds team members accountable for delivering goals and monitors the impact of their work through key metrics. Regularly tracks and discusses team and individual impact through predetermined key metrics.

• Clear, Quantified Impact: Ensures team members have clarity on which KPIs they are responsible for influencing and how these KPIs link to the overall Servicing strategy.

Customer > team > ego. 

• Customer Focused: Provides clarity on customer needs and challenges, incorporates key customer-focused metrics into team goals, and tracks for continuous improvement. 

• Supportive Leadership: Hires, onboards, and supports team members to set them up for a successful and impactful career. Ensures that team decisions prioritise customer needs and impact. Encourages team members to always consider the broader team and customer perspective in their work. 

• Growth-Oriented: Conducts regular one-to-ones, and performance review sessions (e.g. Grow Wise), balancing both numerical and behavioural performance with development discussions. Invests in and drives their own growth as a leader. Embraces both successes and failures to support learning.  

• Knowledge Sharing: Shares area expertise and skills to help the team find the best solutions. Uses coaching to encourage team members to share their knowledge and be more involved in decisions affecting their work. 

No drama, good karma. 

• Inclusive Leadership: Creates an inclusive culture where everyone can do their best work while being fully themselves. Actively collaborates within their organisations and Wise to reach impact. ​

• Respectful and Open Communication: Stays respectful, embraces different perspectives, and positively contributes to discussions even in challenging situations. Demonstrates great listening skills, empathy, and patience, and communicates honestly and transparently, focusing on solutions

• Feedback and Growth: Gives timely and specific feedback to support the growth and impact of team members. Encourages a feedback-rich environment where constructive feedback is valued and used for continuous improvement.

• Caring Environment: Brings the team together regularly, shows empathy, and supports team members to overcome challenges. Supports team members’ mental and physical well-being, builds high levels of trust through open communication. 

• Mindful Management: Challenges arguments, not individuals, and ensures sustainable work practices. Manages energy levels sustainably, and knows when to ask for help or take time out.

For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders  — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences.
Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.

Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders  — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences.
Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.

Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.