Head of Financial Crime Risk Assessment

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We are looking for a Head of Financial Crime (FC) Risk Assessment to lead and scale our first-line FC risk assessment framework across our entities. In this role, you will be responsible for the 1LoD execution of assessments focused on AML/CTF, sanctions, fraud and related typologies, while establishing robust governance and remediation standards. You’ll partner closely with 2LoD Compliance, Product and Analytics to ensure the framework remains aligned to regulatory requirements, business growth and Wise’s risk appetite.
 

• Manage and enhance the end to end FC risk assessment lifecycle, including risk identification, scoring, and control effectiveness.

• Establish and maintain a scalable governance framework covering ownership, completion tracking, and escalations across all Wise entities.

• Ensure alignment across risk frameworks (e.g., product risk assessments).

• Drive continuous improvement of the methodology execution through standardization and technology enablement.

• Perform regulatory impact analysis and identify jurisdiction-specific risks, typologies regulatory and expectations.

• Maintain a comprehensive framework for challenging and tracking remediation plans for control gaps and/or elevated residual risks identified during assessments

• Partner with the Analytics team to enhance data reporting, dashboards, and quality.

• Design and drive adoption of metrics and indicators for quarterly reporting.

• Prepare high-quality materials, dashboards, and trend analysis for senior management and risk committees. 

• Act as a key 1LOD point of contact supporting regulatory exams, process walkthroughs and audit requests relating to FC risk assessments.

• Ensure risk assessments align with business growth, digital transformation strategies, and risk appetite statements.

• Lead a small team (currently 1 direct report) and provide prioritisation and performance management; with potential to grow the team over time in line with programme needs.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading Financial Crime risk assessments in a complex financial institution, including multi-entity or multi-region scope.

• Demonstrated ownership of risk assessment methodology design, including scoring models, materiality, and control effectiveness integration.

• Proven ability to effectively communicate with Product, Analytics, and 2LOD Compliance and Risk teams.

• Strong capacity to prioritize tasks, maintain a problem-solving mindset, and take ownership to drive and deliver projects from inception to completion with high attention to detail

• Strong data literacy with the ability to scrutinize metrics.

• Experience implementing or running risk processes in GRC/workflow tools (e.g., internal tooling like Optro, or equivalent platforms).