Airwallex Limited

Head of Risk Operations

Airwallex Limited$160K — $200K *
Finance & Insurance
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Proven senior leadership experience in regulated financial services or fintech.
  • Track record of scaling Risk Operations across multiple geographies.
  • Background in Fraud Operations and Account Takeover risk control.
  • Strong analytical skills with a focus on commercial impact.
  • Experience in cross-functional collaborations for operational outcomes.
  • Demonstrated success in implementing automation and AI transformations.
  • Familiarity with big data analytics tools like SQL and BI tooling.

Responsibilities

  • Own the vision, strategy, and execution for Risk Operations.
  • Build and lead a high-performing global team.
  • Develop and implement a location strategy ensuring optimal coverage and cost efficiency.
  • Establish a scalable operating rhythm with clear objectives.
  • Utilize data-driven management for performance optimization.
  • Balance risk and customer experience for timely decision making.
  • Enhance documentation quality and operational control frameworks.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead a global team in a high-impact role.
  • Exposure to cutting-edge AI and automation technologies.
  • Work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
  • Involvement in shaping risk operations in a growing fintech.
  • Possibility of influencing operational excellence across multiple product domains.
Full Job Description
About the team:

Risk Operations is a global 1LOD team responsible for the Acquiring, Issuing and Credit Risk domains. The team handles cases and investigations across product domains, working closely with 2LOD and Commercial teams to ensure that Airwallex operates within its risk appetite. The team is passionate about operational excellence and delivering an exceptional end-to-end customer experience.

What you'll do:

As the Senior Director/Head of Risk Operations, you will lead a global team responsible for defining procedures and delivering operational excellence across new client onboarding, periodic review and in-life behaviour. You will ensure that Airwallex champions high standards for integrity, judgement and documentation in all aspects of risk operations.

Responsibilities:
  • Own the vision, strategy and execution for Risk Operations
  • Build, lead and develop high-performing a globally distributed team
  • Own the location and resourcing strategy of the team, solving for 24/7 coverage, quality of customer experience and cost efficiency
  • Create a repeatable & scalable operating rhythm, including clear OKRs
  • Take a data-driven approach to performance management
  • Strike the right balance between risk, customer experience and commercial impact, ensuring timely, high-quality decision making and communications
  • Drive continuous improvement in the quality of procedures, playbooks and control frameworks, aligned to Airwallex financial crime and fraud policies defined by 2LOD and partnering closely with Risk Product and Engineering
  • Ensure that Airwallex continues to improve the quality and consistency of documentation
  • Lead AI transformation of the Risk Operations team

This role will be based in either London or Singapore.

Who are you:

We're looking for people who meet the minimum requirements for this role. The preferred qualifications are great to have, but are not mandatory.

Minimum qualifications:
  • Proven experience, including senior leadership in large-scale, multi-jurisdiction operations in a rapidly growing regulated financial-services or payments/fintech business
  • Proven track record of scaling Risk Operations (at least 2 of Payments, Issuing and Credit) across multiple geographies, and of building globally consistent performance
  • Background in Fraud Ops and ATO risk control
  • Strong commercial and analytical judgement - comfortable framing decisions in unit economics, scalability and return on investment
  • Track record of operating at the Operations-Product-Risk intersection and driving cross-functional outcomes without full reporting-line authority
  • Demonstrated delivery of automation/AI-led transformation in an operations setting
  • Evidence of big data/analytics (including SQL, DBX and BI tooling)


Preferred experience:
  • Cross-border payments; multi-entity, multi-licence environments
  • Experience across Payments, Issuing and Credit Risk
  • Comfort with a highly technical, API-first product
  • Exposure to IPO readiness / public-company control environments
  • Top-tier consulting or operator-investor background (structured thinking under ambiguity)
Applicant Safety Policy: Fraud and Third-Party Recruiters

To protect you from recruitment scams, please be aware that Airwallex will not ask for bank details, sensitive ID numbers (i.e. passport), or any form of payment during the application or interview process. All official communication will come from an [redacted].com email address. Please apply only through careers.airwallex.com or our official LinkedIn page.

Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary.

About Airwallex Limited

Airwallex is a financial technology company that provides cross-border payment solutions for businesses. The company was founded in 2015 by a group of entrepreneurs from Australia and China. Airwallex's platform allows businesses to make and receive payments in multiple currencies at competitive exchange rates. The company has raised over $400 million in funding to date and has offices in several countries, including Australia, China, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Learn more about Airwallex Limited
Size
800 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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