As a High Risk Assessment Specialist, you will play a critical role in ensuring Wise's adherence to regulatory and compliance standards. You will be responsible for mitigating risks associated with high risk customers, while maintaining compliance with AML/CTF regulations and internal policies according to Wise's risk appetite.
You'll 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. This role is a great opportunity for people who are interested in deepening their expertise in the KYC/AML domain.
What you'll do:
- Be the expert others turn to – act as the escalation point for all complex compliance cases, assessing high-risk customers and applying sophisticated risk-based methodologies
- Conduct deep-dive investigations – perform Enhanced Due Diligence on complex business structures and high-risk customers, analyzing their business activities, compliance programs and controls to document thorough risk assessments
- Share your expertise – mentor and consult other compliance operations teams, acting as a subject matter expert on complex cases
- Make critical assessments – review and analyze AML, Sanctions, EDD, KYC, and Acceptable Use Policy documentation, comparing against Wise's policies and risk-based approach
- Protect Wise's reputation – assess customers' potential reputational and financial crime risk from Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media perspectives
- Drive innovation – develop new risk mitigation methods and improve our compliance framework and controls, working closely with Product and FinCrime teams
- Enable growth – communicate with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate scalable, compliant business onboarding
- Own quality – be accountable for quality assurance of the High Risk Assessment team, making decisions within our policy framework and evolving processes with compliance
- Influence leadership – report compliance concerns, operational incidents, and recommended actions to Financial Crime Oversight and senior management
- Build capability – support team leads on ad-hoc project work and participate in enhancing compliance management knowledge across the team
- Provide oversight – assist with deep dives and audits at regional level when required
- 3+ years of hands-on experience conducting complex, holistic investigations within a Financial Crime team (AML, Sanctions, or Fraud) or equivalent
- Understanding of regional and global regulatory requirements and risk-based approaches
- Excellent verbal and written English skills with the ability to clearly articulate your thoughts (additional languages are a plus)
- Ability to work autonomously within well-defined procedures and practices
- Capable of consolidating disparate information across and outside the organization to apply risk-based approaches and make firm, defensible calls on complex cases
- Identify underlying risk drivers and materiality in every review, delivering decisive, rock-solid written arguments grounded in risk appetite and mitigation
- Spot gaps in policies and processes and work with teams and stakeholders to resolve issues
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, strong organizational abilities, attention to detail, and analytical capabilities
- Strong stakeholder management and problem-solving skills
- Ability to meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
- Proactive, resourceful, enthusiastic and willing to get things done
- Thrive in diverse work environments that require collaboration, partnership and transparency
Work authorization
Candidates must hold valid work authorization for Estonia. Please note that we are currently unable to provide visa sponsorship or relocation support for this position.
Our hiring process
- Application review – we'll review your CV and Cover Letter
- Take-Home Test
- First interview with Team Leads
- Final interview with Senior Leads
If you're interested, please apply by submitting your CV and please provide an answer to the following question in your Cover Letter:
Can you describe a time from your experience where you conducted an investigation into a high-risk customer and decided to retain them instead of offboarding?(Please focus on your analytical reasoning: details you reviewed, what mitigating evidence you found, and why you felt confident in keeping the customer.)
What we offer
- 🚀 RSUs in a rapidly growing company
- 💻 Flexible working model
- 💪 An annual self-development budget
- ☀️ Paid time off: 28 days vacation + 3 “Me” days + 1 volunteer day, annually
- 🏝️ A paid 6-week sabbatical leave after four years
Click here to learn more about the benefits that we offer at Wise.
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
- 3+ years of hands-on experience conducting complex, holistic investigations within a Financial Crime team, including AML, Sanctions, or Fraud, or equivalent experience
- Understanding of regional and global regulatory requirements and risk-based approaches
- Excellent verbal and written English skills
- Ability to work autonomously within well-defined procedures and practices
- Ability to consolidate disparate information and apply risk-based approaches to make firm, defensible decisions on complex cases
- Ability to identify underlying risk drivers and materiality and produce well-supported written arguments
- Ability to identify policy and process gaps and work with stakeholders to resolve them
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong organizational abilities, attention to detail, and analytical capabilities
- Strong stakeholder management and problem-solving skills
- Ability to meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
- Proactive, resourceful, enthusiastic, and willing to take initiative
- Ability to collaborate effectively in diverse, transparent work environments
- Valid work authorization for Estonia
Wise Compensation & Benefits Highlights
-
Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is broadly accessible through RSUs granted to all employees in addition to salary, aligning rewards with company performance. This company‑wide ownership stance is consistently highlighted in the benefits descriptions.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is notably generous, with a global minimum of 33 days and 36 days listed for U.S. locations. After four years, a six‑week paid sabbatical plus a £1,000 stipend further strengthens time‑away benefits.
-
Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Lifestyle support includes work‑from‑anywhere for up to 90 days per year after six months, flexible working principles, and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Program. Extras like three annual “Me Days” and a professional‑development allowance add quality‑of‑life value.
Wise Insights
Similar Jobs
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.
Gallery
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.
