Head of Financial Crime Risk Assessment

Overview

As Head of FC Risk Assessment, you will lead the first-line risk assessment framework for AML/CTF, sanctions, and related typologies across Wise entities. You will own the end-to-end risk assessment lifecycle, governance, and remediation, partnering with 2LoD Compliance, Product, and Analytics to ensure regulatory alignment and scalable growth. You’ll drive methodology, data reporting, and dashboards, while preparing materials for senior leadership and regulatory examinations. This role offers strategic influence over risk posture amidst Wise’s expansion and digital transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end FC risk assessment lifecycle: identify risks, score them, and assess control effectiveness
• Establish and maintain a scalable governance framework across all Wise entities, with ownership, tracking, and escalations
• Align risk assessment activities with other risk frameworks (e.g., product risk assessments)
• Drive standardization and technology enablement to improve methodology execution
• Perform regulatory impact analysis and identify jurisdiction-specific risks and expectations
• Maintain remediation tracking for control gaps and elevated residual risks
• Partner with Analytics to enhance data reporting, dashboards, and data quality
• Design and implement metrics for quarterly risk reporting and executive dashboards
• Prepare high-quality materials and trend analyses for senior management and risk committees
• Act as 1LoD point of contact for regulatory exams, walkthroughs, and audit requests related to FC risk assessments
• Ensure FC risk assessments support business growth, digital transformation, and risk appetite statements
• Lead a small team (one direct report currently) with potential for growth and increased responsibilities

Key requirements

• Significant experience leading Financial Crime risk assessments in a complex financial institution with multi-entity or multi-region scope
• Demonstrated ownership of risk assessment methodology design, including scoring models, materiality, and integration of control effectiveness
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with Product, Analytics, and 2LOD teams
• Strong priority-setting, problem-solving mindset, and ownership to drive projects end-to-end
• Strong data literacy with ability to scrutinize metrics
• Experience implementing or operating risk processes in GRC/workflow tools (e.g., Optro or equivalent)

• Clear communicator with cross-functional stakeholders
• Detail-oriented and high attention to accuracy
• Proactive and ownership-driven
• GRC/workflow tools (e.g., Optro)
• Data reporting and dashboard design
• Regulatory analytics and impact analysis

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