Head of KYC Operations - EMEA

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.

Your mission is to lead the KYC Operations Function organization to ensure its compliance and provide instant service with best-in-class quality. 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.

Some examples of your success metrics might include:

• 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

You will contribute to Wise’s success in this role by:

• Setting the Strategy for KYC Operations Function
• Leading the design of the vision and strategy for your team, aligned with the overall Servicing Strategy
• Building the best processes
• Building and developing a robust and compliant customer onboarding program
• Utilizing data and user research to optimize our onboarding experience
• Driving improvement initiatives and managing an efficient process while providing continuous effective risk management and control
• Managing and optimizing 3rd party services and outsourced vendors across the KYC operating model
• Working 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
• Ensuring the right KYC Operations Function organization and the right leaders are in place
• Building and developing a people strategy that allows execution upon the vision
• Oversight of team's budgets and high-level reporting
• Setting KPIs and developmental objectives across the current team of 150+ people

Qualifications:

• Exceptional verbal and written English communication skills are essential, with proficiency in additional languages considered advantageous.
• 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.
• 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.