Risk Team Lead

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

As a Risk Team Lead you will develop and oversee the daily operations of a team of Risk Specialists. Your team is responsible for mitigating risks associated with high risk customers, with a specific emphasis on Correspondent Banking environments. This area has a strong focus on maintaining compliance with AML/CFT regulations, and internal policies according to Wise’s risk appetite.

You act as a leader who balances regulatory safety with operational speed and commercial impact. You are not just a manager; you are a subject matter expert who unblocks the team and commercial opportunities, architects career development, and aligns daily tasks with Wise’s long-term mission.

Job Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Mission Alignment

• Lead by example, driving a customer-focused mindset while refining the high-level Wise mission into daily operational focus and priorities.

• Promote a culture of ownership and accountability, ensuring the team distinguishes between "routine urgencies" and "true impact."

• Operational Excellence: Set the cultural and professional standard for the team, ensuring seamless execution of Business-as-Usual (BAU) operations.

People Management & Talent Development

• Coach and develop a strong team; lead the hiring funnel and create robust training curriculums to ensure new members are set up for success from day one.

• Project Coaching: Support team members in driving their own initiatives, ensuring they have resources to succeed and remain accountable to timelines.

• Conduct career map check-ins and design development plans to architect the long-term growth of your analysts.

Operational & Risk Management

• Unblock the Team: Use expertise to advise analysts on risk-based decisions, handling findings, and setting mitigation actions to manage risk confidently.

• Control Design: Coach the team to evaluate and recommend monitoring controls based on inherent risks identified during onboarding.

• Audit Excellence: Ensure the team maintains a meticulous end-to-end audit trail for all risk decisions and processes.

• Procedural Implementation: Adopt and implement procedural changes, ensuring the team is aligned in their day-to-day work.

Performance & Data Accountability

• KPI & SLA Accountability: Use data proficiency to set, track, and report on performance, ensuring BAU is handled with accuracy and quality.

• Conduct regular 1:1 coaching sessions and team meetings to share best practices and maintain high team spirit.

Expertise & Calculated Risk Leadership

• Strategic Risk Leadership: Make high-stakes, calculated risk decisions and coach the team to develop the same level of professional judgment.

• Commercial-Compliance Calibration: Strategize by grasping the commercial impact of the team’s work, solving for friction while maintaining safety.

• Assist senior leadership with audits and proactively identify where controls are needed to support future scale.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Strategic De-escalation: Navigate challenging situations by focusing on core issues to reach resolutions.

• Persuasive Framing: Tailor conversations to demonstrate impact—from a risk perspective for 2LOD to a growth perspective for Commercial stakeholders.

• Navigating Blockers: Facilitate difficult discussions with internal and external partners; use challenge/pushback/influence to achieve goals.

• Strategic Risk Tolerance: Guide tolerance conversations with 1LOD and 2LOD to ensure the organization is comfortable with the risk-to-growth ratio.

Requirements

• Industry Experience: Minimum 4+ years of experience in financial crime and/or compliance, specifically within a Correspondent Banking environment.

• Leadership Experience: At least 1-2 years of experience scaling and managing high-performing teams.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written English skills; ability to articulate complex risk thoughts clearly.

• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of the regulatory framework surrounding KYC/AML/CFT and money laundering trends.

• Problem Solving: Proven ability to turn solutions into actionable projects and drive them to completion with minimal support.

• Technical Skills: Ability to analyze and move team metrics; proficiency in using data to drive insights.

• Mindset: Punctual, independent, proactive, and capable of working in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.

Nice to have:

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

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

• Tools: Experience with analytics tools like Looker, Salesforce, DowJones or similar.

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.