Wise
We’re looking for a Head of Compliance and Alternate Chief Executive for Hong Kong. Based in Hong Kong, you will work with a growing team of multidisciplinary specialists (Product, Treasury, Banking, Security based in our offices in APAC and HQ in London) to help build world class products in Hong Kong. You’ll help manage and strengthen the team’s relationships with regulators, including the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) and Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), by having a clear overview of our regulatory requirements and how we meet them through our products, processes and controls. You’ll have ultimate responsibility for maintaining our Hong Kong regulatory authorisations and ensuring that these remain appropriate for our product offerings and features.
You will be working closely with teams across Wise (including first line Fincrime Operations, Product, and Banking teams) to provide advice on new regulations and emerging risks, ensure new products and services are launched in compliance with regulatory requirements, and oversee the firm’s financial crime controls (KYC, AML, Sanctions, Fraud). Externally, Head of Compliance Hong Kong is also responsible for defending Wise’s compliance program to regulators, law enforcement, and partner banks.
Wise has already pioneered new ways for people to transfer money across borders and currencies. Our customers can also manage their hard-earned money with the world’s first platform to offer true multi-currency banking. Your mission is to play a key role in supporting a financial crime program that is driven by Wise’s mission for money without borders, transparency, and protecting customers. We are looking for someone with in-depth knowledge and experience in fincrime compliance, an excitement and desire to learn, and strong organisational and communication skills.
- Develop an in-depth knowledge of Wise’s business and get to know teams across Wise as you work with them to understand the product and regulatory framework.
- Help keep compliance right at the heart of our product developments by managing our compliance obligations in Hong Kong, managing regulatory change, driving second line monitoring and oversight, and providing assurance to Group SLT, Wise Hong Kong Board and Group Board. Support new initiatives by ensuring new initiatives are compliantly launched.
- Take on and own new projects that arise in any area of the compliance programme on a project basis. Take a problem-solving approach, whether designing a new process to be implemented or driving an effort for multiple teams to work together to remediate control gaps or process enhancements.
- Global cross team collaboration projects with focus on delivering impact for our fastest growing APAC markets - Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and New Zealand.
A bit about you:
Skills
Our ideal candidate will have over 8 years experience in managing compliance with financial regulation in Hong Kong, great communication and organisational skills, tons of motivation and positivity. Candidate should be fluent in English and Cantonese. More specifically, we’re looking for someone who can demonstrate they have these attributes:
- Theory. You are an expert in regulatory and fincrime compliance (or both) having a background in Financial Regulation and a thorough knowledge of regulations in Hong Kong.
- Practice. You have worked in a Financial Regulation advisory role or in a Compliance team and have dealt with regulators, preferably both the C&ED and HKMA, on a regular basis. You have demonstrable experience designing and challenging processes, ideally across multiple products. You have experience in dealing with regulatory audits, JFIU reporting, suspicious transaction monitoring etc. You understand how to build and maintain a good working relationship with regulators, policymakers etc.
- Passion. You get a kick out of improving current practices and processes and have the drive to apply different compliance strategies to develop multiple compliance frameworks. You have thought deeply about the Wise mission and how it intersects with compliance.
- Get the job done. You are a problem-solver. You have a sense of urgency and an ability to work well under pressure, prioritising, taking responsibility and working to tight deadlines.
- Communication. You’re a strong relationship builder across all levels of the business and externally. You lead by example and can demonstrate the Wise values in all your actions.
- Development. You’ve considered the challenges and development opportunities of working at a fast growing scale-up and are looking to get into FinTech or payments compliance.
- Project management and communication. You have the ability to write and communicate clearly about our products, processes and controls as well as how they can be improved. You’re able to analyse different viewpoints across stakeholders and tailor your communication to get the message across.
- Autonomous. You’re a proactive problem solver and able to work independently to contribute to the team’s overall objectives. You’re adaptable to evolving priorities and have a strong ability to project manage such changes effectively.
- Curious. You have an insatiable curiosity about Asia/Hong Kong products, processes and puts our customers interests at the forefront. You’re excited to make an impact at Wise and enjoy working with cross functional teams to fuel the revolution.
What Do We Offer
- Starting salary: HKD $900k - HKD $ 1.3m per annum (depending on interview performance) + RSUs
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.
Keep up to date with life at Wise by following them on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Since 2011, Wise has had a clear mission: money without borders. Built by and for people who live global lives, we’re the fairest, easiest way to manage your money across borders.
We’re just at the beginning of our story and we’re growing at an incredible pace. We won’t stop until anyone, anywhere can send, spend and receive money wherever they are, whatever they’re doing. There’s still heaps to do and we can’t do it alone.
