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.
Job DescriptionWe’re just at the beginning of our story and we’re growing at an incredible pace. We won’t stop until anyone, anywhere can send, spend and receive money wherever they are, whatever they’re doing. There’s still heaps to do and we can’t do it alone.
To help us achieve this, we are looking for an experienced Compliance Lead to act as the Compliance Director for the high-growth Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, providing the strategic leadership needed to protect our customers as we scale our products across diverse new jurisdictions.
What immediate impact you will have:
Strategic Oversight: Provide strategic leadership and act as the Compliance Director for the high-growth MEA region, including Israel, UAE, South Africa. Later focus will be on markets like Nigeria, Turkey, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Licensing & Expansion: Oversee the launch of full capabilities in licensed markets (Israel, UAE, and South Africa) while managing and supporting licensing requirements in Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
Team Establishment: Take the lead in building and establishing the required second-line (2LOD) operational teams across the MEA region from the ground up.
Governance & Reporting: Oversee the localisation of compliance frameworks and report to the Board of Directors on the health of financial crime and regulatory compliance across the MEA region.
MEA Champion: Support regional Compliance Officers (COs) by establishing overarching trust and communication with regulators. You will act as the spokesperson for the MEA region, networking with local peers to find opportunities to expand Wise's reach. You will receive and translate information into strategic insight, action to decide how to manage regional risks, and support the communication of product changes primarily within the company.
This role will give you the opportunity to:
Develop an in-depth knowledge of Wise’s business globally and get to know many teams across the company as you liaise with them to help them understand complex regional regulatory frameworks.
Help keep compliance right at the heart of our product developments and new initiatives by horizon-scanning for new regulatory developments in the Middle East and Africa and sharing these with the teams.
Ensure operational excellence by maintaining our regulatory licenses and applications across the region, and establishing scalable 2LOD operational teams to support these new markets.
Leading at Wise, like a lot of other things, is quite unique. Our teams and individuals have the autonomy to make impactful decisions for our customers. Our leads enable the team and people to deliver impact and champion our culture.
Experience: You have a solid background and knowledge in regulatory frameworks, with a strong grasp of related financial crime and regulatory obligations. Demonstrable experience managing complex licensing entries and interacting with regulators in markets like the UAE, Israel, or South Africa is highly advantageous.
Visionary Leadership (Mandatory): Set the strategic course and inspire your team to operate collaboratively toward shared objectives within a high-autonomy setting. You possess a proven track record of standing up operational departments and executing strategic roadmaps across diverse regions, with the expertise to provide seamless mentorship to senior regional Compliance Officers. Foster a workspace dedicated to professional growth via continuous feedback and knowledge exchange, cultivating a culture where team members are empowered to maximize their impact by being authentic and challenging the status quo.
Strategic Communication: Make sure the team is data-driven to make the most impact for our customers. You have sufficient experience to communicate complex topics to senior management in a clear, concise way, including overseeing board packs. You are an excellent negotiator with the ability to bring teams and people with diverse ways of thinking together.
Adaptability & Growth Mindset: You are passionate about expanding and growing Wise into new markets like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Egypt in a compliant, solutions-driven manner. You have the ability to work in a fast-paced and time-sensitive environment, handling multiple tasks and complex geopolitical market nuances simultaneously.
Language skills: You are fluent in English. Additionally, fluency or working proficiency in Arabic, Turkish and/or Hebrew is highly desirable to support our strategic focus in the Middle East.
Hybrid working - 3 days in the office and 2 from home
Working hours - 9am to 6pm
Opportunities to travel to other operational hubs as required.
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.
Skills Required
- Strong experience and knowledge of regulatory frameworks, financial crime obligations, and regulatory compliance requirements
- Experience managing complex licensing entries and interacting with regulators, preferably in the UAE, Israel, or South Africa
- Proven strategic leadership experience, including establishing operational departments and executing strategic roadmaps across diverse regions
- Experience mentoring senior regional Compliance Officers
- Ability to communicate complex topics clearly to senior management and oversee Board reporting packs
- Excellent negotiation and stakeholder collaboration skills
- Ability to manage multiple complex tasks in fast-paced, time-sensitive, and geopolitically nuanced markets
- Fluency in English
- Fluency or working proficiency in Arabic, Turkish, and/or Hebrew
What the Team is Saying
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Wise Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Global paid time off is presented as 33–36 days including local public holidays, plus three “Me Days,” with a paid six‑week sabbatical and stipend after four years. Work-from-anywhere for up to 90 days per year after six months further complements time away and flexibility.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — RSUs are granted to all employees, enabling broad ownership in the company. Equity is positioned as a standard, company‑wide component of total rewards.
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Parental & Family Support — Parental leave is described as generous across markets, with U.S. pages listing up to 18 weeks fully paid for birthing parents and 8 weeks for non‑birthing parents. Additional family‑oriented supports such as onsite Mother’s Rooms and abortion travel benefits are noted in certain locations.
Wise Insights
What We Do
Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world's money. With Wise Account and Wise Business, people and businesses can hold 40 currencies, move money between countries and spend money abroad. Large companies and banks use Wise technology too; an entirely new network for the world's money. Launched in 2011, Wise is one of the world’s fastest growing, profitable tech companies. In fiscal year 2025, Wise supported around 15.6 million people and businesses, processing over $185 billion in cross-border transactions and saving customers around $2.6 billion.
Why Work With Us
We’re truly global in who we are, how we work, and how we build. Everything we do is centred around creating a world of money that’s fast, easy, fair. And open to all. Everyone who works here owns a piece of Wise, from the work they do, to the stock they hold.
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Wise Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We expect new joiners in the office most days to build connections and learn from colleagues for their first six months. After that, most Wisers split their working week between the office and home, typically coming in at least 12 times a month.
