FinCrime Operations Senior Lead - AML Investigations

Location: Global

Team: General

About the Role

Wise is a global technology company revolutionizing the way people and businesses move and manage money worldwide, with min fees, max ease, and full speed. We're seeking an experienced FinCrime Operations Senior Lead - AML Investigations to join our growing team in Tallinn, Estonia. In this critical role, you'll ensure effective assessment and mitigation of financial crime risks, acting as a vital connector between operational teams and senior leadership, while driving customer focus, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across specialized teams. As a seasoned leader, you'll cultivate high-performance cultures, own talent pipelines, and develop strategic roadmaps spanning quarters. You'll lead projects end-to-end, serve as SME in AML/KYC/Fraud, manage incidents, and influence cross-functional stakeholders with data-driven insights. With 3-4 years in FinCrime and proven team leadership, you'll translate regulatory changes into robust strategies, optimize processes, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Salary: 4000-5600 EUR gross/monthly + RSUs. Join us to make a meaningful impact on the world's money network. Submit your English resume and cover letter by December 23, 2025, addressing specific leadership and risk process examples.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead by example, cultivating a high-performance, results-driven culture across multiple Team Leads and Specialists
• Own the talent pipeline: hire, coach, mentor, and develop direct reports, driving career check-ins, skill enhancement, and making recommendations for promotions/salary progression
• Implement strong performance frameworks to consistently meet and enhance individual and team KPIs/SLAs, promptly addressing and documenting underperformance
• Own the strategic roadmap (spanning several quarters) for your operational area, transforming high-level plans into actionable change
• Lead and manage projects from start to finish, driving momentum, delegating tasks, and articulating project impact and value to cross-functional stakeholders
• Ensure highest quality standards and compliance are maintained across all tasks, leading root cause analysis and turning insights into improvements
• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Financial Crime areas (AML/KYC/Fraud), training and coaching your leadership team
• Maintain accountability for escalating critical incidents, high-risk customers, and systemic control weaknesses to senior leadership in a timely and precise manner
• Lead complex projects with multiple, diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Compliance, Senior Management)

Required Qualifications

• 3-4 years of experience in FinCrime, KYC/AML, or compliance, with at least 3 years leading small to medium-sized teams
• Proven track record of delivering constructive, well-evidenced feedback that drives tangible behavioral change and performance improvement
• Strong understanding of the FinCrime regulatory framework (KYC, AML, FinCrime)
• Experience with forecasting and strategically moving team metrics, coupled with the ability to independently analyze and drive metric improvement
• Highly process-oriented and efficiency-driven mindset; able to recognize and proactively resolve recurring issues and streamline processes
• Must be able to work with tight deadlines under pressure while maintaining a high level of quality and competence
• Excellent verbal and written English skills
• Highly punctual, independent, proactive, and thrives in a fast-paced environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or a related field
• ICA, CAMS, or equivalent FinCrime/Risk certification
• Experience using Business Intelligence tools such as Looker, Superset, or Microtab

Required Skills

• FinCrime expertise (AML/KYC/Fraud)
• People leadership and development
• Strategic planning and project management
• Performance management and KPI ownership
• Regulatory compliance and risk mitigation
• Stakeholder management and influence
• Process optimization and efficiency
• Data analysis and metric forecasting
• Root cause analysis
• Excellent communication (verbal and written English)

Benefits

• RSUs (stock options)
• Flexible working
• Parental leave
• Learning budget
• Paid sabbatical after 4 years
• Health insurance
• Company retreat
• Wise card

Wise is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse workforce.