High Risk Approval Team Lead

We're looking for an energetic and experienced High Risk Approval Team Lead to lead and grow our new High Risk Approval team in Austin, Texas. This role is a unique opportunity to develop a high performing team, while leveraging your knowledge and experience to help millions more potential customers save money by using Wise!

The High Risk Approval team has a working understanding of inherent risks associated with complex business structures and activities, customer types, country risks and their respective mitigation measures. The investigation accommodates any legal, regulatory and operating requirements unique to specific business sectors or jurisdictions.

The High Risk Approval 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.

The primary purpose of this position is to lead a team of specialists who evaluate and assess high risk customers, mitigate risks associated with them, while ensuring compliance with the established AML/CFT regulations, policies and Wise's risk appetite.

Your mission :

People leading:

• Hire, lead, develop and manage the High Risk Approval team, including amongst others administrative tasks such as scheduling, interviewing, hiring etc;
• Organise team activities and maintain a high team morale;
• Measure team performance, KPIs, plan capacity and maintain focus on the customer experience as well as regulatory/ audit requirements
• Foster the learning, development, and career trajectory of specialists on your team and perform regular talent mapping review sessions.

Processes / project management:

• Be accountable for quality assurance of the approvals performed, taking decisions within our policy framework and working with compliance to evolve both our policies and processes;
• Develop effective operational processes, task allocation, training and performance management to deliver a great customer experience;
• Understand and manage training the team on our regulatory obligations, how our policies fulfil them and our risk-based approach to deterring and preventing money laundering and financial crime;
• Work with product and adjacent compliance teams, as well as financial crime operational teams to manage and mitigate inherent risks;
• Ensure appropriate documentation of new processes, procedures, workflows and methodologies
• Tackle other ad hoc duties

Domain expertise

• Be able to represent policies, processes and auditable investigation work to regulators and auditors;
• Support specialists in the review and decision-making of onboarding complex high risk customers;
• Stay up to date on new regulations and ensure continual best practices across the transaction monitoring investigative process are effective
• Be able to "roll up the sleeves" and perform basic aspects of your team's work

About You:

• You have very good verbal and written English, any other languages are a plus;
• You have a good understanding of the regulatory framework as well as KYC/AML procedures surrounding financial products and services;
• You are operating and leading according to the company values;
• You have great communication and presentations skills, to support internal and external projects and audits;
• You have strong analytical skills and ability to move team's metrics/KPIs;
• You have proven track record of taking individual ownership and responsibilities, project management as well as being a great team-player;
• Your previous work experience in the financial sector or similar (that has given you an understanding of the relevant regulatory landscape).
• You are familiar with money laundering methods and other financial crime trends
• You have the ability to multitask, take responsibility in challenging situations and work well in uncertainty;
• You have the familiarity with reading legal and regulatory documents;
• You work autonomously within a limited variety of well-defined procedures and practices (not necessarily standardised);
• Most importantly - you understand that having a great working culture is everyone's responsibility, so you treat everyone with respect, you always give a helping hand, and you let our values guide you
• You must already be legally authorized to work in the US, we cannot support Visa sponsorship for this role
• This is NOT a remote position, this is a full-time hybrid position based in Austin, Texas

Key benefits:

• $68,500.00 annual salary
• RSU's in a rapidly growing company
• Hybrid working model – a mix of working from home and from the office
• ✈️ Wisers can work remotely for 90 days a year. By 'remote' we don't just mean from home, but from wherever in the world you choose to
• An annual self-development budget
• Medical, dental, & vision insurance – including HSA and FSA options
• Company-paid: Life Insurance, Short & Long-Term Disability, and an EAP program
• Pet friendly offices
• ️ 25 days PTO, 15 sick days, 11 holidays, 5 compassionate leave days, 3 paid "Me" days and a paid volunteer day, annually
• ️ A paid 6-week sabbatical leave after four years
• 18-weeks of paid parental leave, after a year with us
• 401k with up to a 4% employer match
• Here's some more info on our benefits in Austin

If this sounds like a great new challenge for you, please apply by submitting your CV and cover letter in English. Please note that an application without a cover letter will not be considered.

And because we believe that diverse teams build better products, we'd especially love to hear from you if you're from an under-represented demographic.

#LI-Hybrid