KYC Operations Senior 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. Job Description The KYC Operations Senior Lead is responsible for overseeing multiple KYC Team Leads and their respective analyst teams. Your focus will be on driving team performance, streamlining processes, and being an advocate of the Wise values. You will need to ensure that your team is consistently delivering high-quality customer due diligence reviews as well as meeting the operational metrics according to the organization’s wider objectives. Job Responsibilities Group Leadership: Lead by example and drive a customer focused mindset across your team and the wider organization. Promote a culture of ownership and accountability. Build high-performing teams that value knowledge sharing and continuous learning. People management: Coach and develop a strong team of KYC Team Leads. Initiate programs to help your team grow their skills, behaviors, and competencies. Design and manage development plans on identified opportunities. Conduct career map check‑ins and make recommendations for promotions, salary raises, and other decisions. Operational management: Identify and propose opportunities for process improvements. Collaborate with central functions and other operational teams as needed to increase automation and operational efficiency. Monitor team resource allocation and refine standard operating procedures to improve the ways we work. Performance management: Measure group-wide KPIs and ensure that your team leads and their direct reports meet performance targets and quality standards. Conduct regular one‑on‑one coaching sessions, usually on a weekly or biweekly basis. Act as a key escalation point for issues that cannot be resolved by team leads. Generate reports based on teams’ performance and propose corrective actions on identified opportunities. Expertise sharing: Be a subject matter expert in your area with the ability to train and coach your team on operational topics. Maintain a great understanding of our regulatory obligations, internal policies, and applying a risk‑based approach to deterring and preventing money laundering and financial crime. Assist senior leadership with audits and developing our policies and processes. Planning and execution: Ensure operational team plans are set in place and provide insights to other stakeholders. Take full accountability in delivering your own initiatives and making sure your group is making progress on their goals. Effectively execute and support department goals through delegation and empowerment of team leads. There are clear initiatives within your group that serve as a basis of larger team plans. Stakeholder management and communication: Collaborate closely with your stakeholders ensuring clear communication and coordination of actions. Provide well‑documented initiatives and reports and choose the right platforms to communicate to a wider audience in a timely manner. The documentation has a clear scope and includes potential impact in different areas. Communicate confidently with difficult stakeholders. Proactively work on improving cross‑team communication, acting as the liaison between different layers of the organization and your own team leads. Qualifications Excellent verbal and written English skills (additional language skills are a plus) with the ability to clearly articulate your thoughts. A minimum of 3+ years of experience in Operations (preferably in CDD/EDD/AML or Risk Assessment domain). A minimum of 1 year of experience in KYC/AML, Financial Compliance field and a strong understanding of the regulatory framework surrounding KYC/AML. At least 2+ years of leading medium to large sized teams (20 to 60 employees). You are punctual, independent, proactive and willing to get things done. You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organizational skills, great time management, and ability to work in a fast paced and high pressure environment. Ability to multi‑task and take responsibility in challenging situations. You are capable of identifying gaps in policies and processes and providing detailed feedback, including examples when possible, through the established communication channels. Proven track record of taking individual ownership and responsibilities as well as being a great team‑player. Ability to analyze and move the team's metrics. Nice To Have Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or related field. Certifications: ICA, CAMS, or equivalent certification (EDD/AML focused). 2‑3 years experience in KYC/AML, financial crime, compliance, or a related field within the financial services industry. Ability to use analytics tools like Looker, Superset, or other. Additional Information Please apply by submitting your resume in English. Applications in Portuguese will not be considered. Benefits RSU’s in a rapidly growing company An annual self‑development budget Health and dental allowance for you and your dependents Company‑paid: Life Insurance, and an EAP program ☀️ Paid time off: 30 days vacation + 3 “Me” days + 1 volunteer day, annually ️ A paid 6‑week sabbatical leave after four years 18‑weeks of paid parental leave, after a year with us and child care assistance Transportation vouchers Food (708 BRL per month) and Meal (1,166 BRL per month) vouchers ️ TotalPass access to 3,500 gyms and studios throughout Brazil Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Wise by 2x Seniority level Mid‑Senior level Employment type Full-time Job function Management and Manufacturing 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. 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