Your mission

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 you'll 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 usually involves overseeing 150+ 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 team's Quality, Compliance, Speed and Cost of Operations. Some examples of your Success metrics might include but not be limited to:

For the Customers: Quality of KYC Function processes (false positive and negatives), Resolution of customer-facing cases, Response SLA, KYC-related appeals upheld
For Wise: False Positives, False Negatives, Customer Attrition during onboarding, Handling Time, Risk Indicators, Cost per Contact
For Wisers: Engagement Score, Attrition, Rewards

A few ways in which you'll contribute to Wise's 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 fulfill regulatory obligations
Drive improvement initiatives and manage an efficient process while providing continuous effective risk management and control
Manage and optimize 3rd party services and outsourced vendors across the KYC operating model
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.
Set KPIs and developmental objectives across the current team of 150+ people (regional teams across across the globe)

Partnering with Product

Work closely with Product teams to ship and deliver best in market KYC products and experiences to our customers

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. As the overall lead of this function, you are expected to take on, and hold accountability for, anything that is required in order to deliver on the mission and the performance of this function.

Requirements

Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills are essential, with proficiency in additional languages considered advantageous. 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.
Highly punctual, with a strong sense of initiative and a proactive approach to driving strategic objectives and delivering results.
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.
Proven ability to identify and address gaps in policies and processes, providing detailed feedback and constructive recommendations through established communication channels.
Strong track record of personal ownership and responsibility, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across various teams and levels within the organization.
Strategic capability in analyzing team metrics and implementing initiatives to enhance performance and drive key project outcomes.

Head of KYC Operations - APAC