High Risk Assessment Specialist

Location: Global

Team: General

About the Role

Wise is a global technology company building the best way to move and manage the world’s money with min fees, max ease, and full speed. As a High Risk Assessment Specialist in our General team (Global, based in Budapest), you will play a critical role in ensuring adherence to regulatory and compliance standards, mitigating risks associated with high-risk customers while maintaining AML/CTF compliance and internal policies aligned with Wise’s risk appetite. This role suits those eager to deepen expertise in KYC/AML, handling complex business structures, customer types, and country-specific risks with advanced mitigation strategies. You will act as the escalation point for compliance teams, performing enhanced due diligence, analyzing documentation, and assessing reputational and financial crime risks from sanctions, PEPs, and adverse media. Collaborating with Product, FinCrime, and stakeholders, you’ll innovate risk mitigation methods, ensure quality assurance, and support audits and projects to enhance our compliance framework and customer onboarding efficiency. Join us to contribute to a new global network for money movement, working autonomously in a dynamic environment with strong analytical skills and a risk-based mindset.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as an end point for all escalations from other compliance operations teams, assessing customers’ risks and applying risk based approach methodologies
• Mentor and consult other compliance operations teams and act as a subject matter expert in complex cases
• Perform risk assessment and enhanced due diligence on complex and high risk customers
• Review and analyze documentation such as AML, Sanctions, EDD, KYC, and Acceptable Use policies
• Assess the customer’s potential reputational and financial crime risk from Sanctions, PEP, and adverse media perspective
• Escalate and report compliance concerns to Financial Crime Oversight and other compliance teams where necessary
• Work closely with other functions to on-board high risk companies and communicate compliance concerns
• Be accountable for the quality assurance of the Risk Assessment team and evolve processes

Required Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written English skills (additional language skills are a plus)
• A minimum of 3+ years of relevant industry experience, ideally in financial services, compliance roles or at a financial services regulator
• Understanding of regional and global regulatory requirements and essentials of risk based approach
• Work autonomously within a limited variety of well-defined procedures and practices

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in KYC/AML domain
• Background in financial services regulator
• Advanced knowledge of complex business structures and country-specific risks

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Analytical abilities and problem solving capabilities
• Ability to adhere to strict deadlines in a fast paced environment
• Stakeholder management skills
• Ability to take difficult decisions and work with uncertainty
• Risk-based approach application
• Ability to identify gaps in policies and processes
• Proactive and resourceful mindset
• Comfortable in diverse and rapidly changing work environment

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.