Head of KYC Operations - Wise Platform

Posted 13 Hours Ago
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London, Greater London, England, GBR
Hybrid
Expert/Leader
Fintech • Mobile • Payments • Software • Financial Services
Wise is one of the fastest growing fintechs in the world and we’re on a mission to make money without borders a new norm
The Role
Lead the KYC Operations Function, ensuring compliance, operational excellence, and strategic direction while managing a large team across various locations.
Summary Generated by Built In
Company Description

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 Description

Your mission is to lead the KYC Operations Function organization to Ensure its
Compliance and Provide Instant Service with best-in-class Quality. And to do
this in a scalable, cost-efficient manner, working in partnership with other Wise
teams and functions, most prominently with Wise Product and Compliance.

What youʼll be doing

  • In this role, you will lead a team of Area Leads and their functional areas to drive strategic direction and operational excellence.
  • You are responsible for setting and executing strategic objectives, building high-performing teams, and ensuring they meet operational and quality targets. The role involves overseeing circa 75 employees across multiple locations both Internally and Outsourced, ensuring achieving the organization's mission, and aligning operational strategies with business goals. 
  • You will need to ensure the top-notch delivery in your teamʼs Quality,
  • Compliance, Speed and Cost of Operations.

A few ways in which Youʼll contribute to Wiseʼs success in this role

Setting the Strategy for KYC Operations Function

  • Lead the design of the vision and strategy for your team, aligned with the overall Servicing Strategy, in making the processes more compliant, faster, better and more scalable, with a clear customer focus

Building the best processes

  • Build and develop a robust and compliant customer onboarding program
  • Build the necessary support systems for the processes: Metrics, Targets, Governance, Utilize data and user research to optimize our on-boarding experience and transform how we currently fight financial crime and fulfil regulatory obligations
  • Drive improvement initiatives and manage an efficient process while providing continuous effective risk management and control
  • Work closely with our Risk and Compliance teams to align on risk appetites and capabilities to support the growth of the business

Nurturing a great team

  • Ensure that the right KYC Operations Function organization and the right leaders are in place
  • Build and develop a people strategy that allows execution upon the vision - cross functions and locations
  • Revamp the People management processes together with the People Operations team - skills, career paths, performance management
  • Oversight of team's budgets and high level reporting.

Qualifications

  • Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills are essential, 
  • Ability to articulate complex concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
  • Extensive experience, typically 10 years, in Operations (preferably KYC/AML, financial crime, compliance, or related fields within the financial services industry).
  • Demonstrated leadership experience, preferably 8 years, in leading and mentoring large teams, fostering an inclusive and high-performance culture.
  • In-depth expertise and strategic understanding of the regulatory environment and evolving framework surrounding KYC/AML.
  • Proficient in utilizing advanced analytics tools, such as Looker, Superset, or equivalent platforms, to drive data-driven decision-making.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, coupled with strong organizational capabilities. Ability to effectively manage time and thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
  • Expertise in multi-tasking and maintaining accountability in complex and challenging scenarios.

Additional Information

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

  • 10 years in Operations (preferably KYC/AML, financial crime)
  • 8 years leading and mentoring large teams
  • In-depth expertise in regulatory environment surrounding KYC/AML
  • Proficient in advanced analytics tools (Looker, Superset)
  • Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills

What the Team is Saying

Surendra
Smrithi
Pavan
Jennifer
Lindsay
Lauren
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The Company
9,000 Employees
Year Founded: 2011

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.

Typical time on-site: Not Specified
Austin, TX
Brussels, BE
Hungary
Hyderabad, IN
Kuala Lumpur, MY
London, GB
New York, NY
São Paulo, BR
Singapore
Tallinn, EE
Tokyo, JP
Learn more

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