FinCrime Operations Team Lead - PEP

Location: Hyderabad
Department: Operations

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 a FinCrime Operations Team Lead you will develop and oversee the daily operations of a team of FinCrime Operations Analysts or Specialists. Your primary purpose is to ensure the effective mitigation of financial crime risks associated with Wise's customers, while maintaining a strong focus on operational efficiency, regulatory compliance and a customer-centric approach.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership

You will lead by example, driving a customer-focused mindset across your team and the wider fincrime organization. You are instrumental in fostering a high-performance, results-driven culture defined by strong ownership and accountability.

• Build and nurture high-performing teams that value knowledge sharing, continuous learning, and adaptability in our change-oriented environment.
• Demonstrate strong capabilities in timely conflict resolution and foster open communication.

People Management

Coach and develop a strong team of FinCrime Operations Analysts or Specialists with varying levels of experience, providing tailored guidance, and taking swift, decisive action to manage performance issues effectively.

• Provide regular, constructive, and actionable feedback to your direct reports.
• Coach and mentor team members to support their growth, develop their skills, and help them reach their full potential.

Operational Management

Oversee the daily operations of the team, ensuring adherence to relevant regulations and internal policies and processes.

• Identify and propose opportunities for process and tooling improvements.
• Collaborate with central functions and other operational teams as needed to increase operational efficiency.

Performance Management

Measure team and individual KPIs and ensure performance targets and quality standards are consistently met while maintaining focus on customer experience and adherence to internal guidelines.

• Drive high-quality results for both the team and individuals, continuously enhancing overall quality outcomes.

Expertise Sharing

Be a subject matter expert in financial crime areas with the ability to obtain and maintain sufficient subject matter expertise required to train, develop and coach your team.

• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of our regulatory obligations, internal policies, domain-specific processes and best practices.

Issue Management and Escalation

Escalate tooling or processing incidents, high-risk customer issues, control weaknesses, or other material problems to direct leadership in a timely and informative manner, following established protocols.

Planning and Execution

Be accountable for driving your direct team's performance outcomes, ensuring key performance indicators (KPIs) are consistently met and enhanced.

• Possess strong knowledge of team processes and tooling, leveraging data to support initiative execution.

Stakeholder Management and Communication

Collaborate closely with stakeholders ensuring clear communication and coordination of actions.

• Your initiatives and reports are well documented and you choose the right platforms to communicate to a wider audience in a timely manner.

Qualifications

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to produce clear, concise, accurate, and professional reports, summaries, and customer communications.
• At least 1-2 years of leading small to medium sized teams, preferably in operations.
• Good understanding of the regulatory framework surrounding KYC/AML/Fraud/Risk and financial crime prevention.
• Familiarity with money laundering methods and other financial crime trends.
• Strong operational management and tactical decision-making skills.
• Ability to work with tight deadlines under pressure whilst maintaining high level of quality and competency.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organisational 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.
• Strong process-oriented and efficiency-driven mindset.
• Proven track record of taking individual ownership and responsibilities as well as being a great team-player.

Nice to Have

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or related field.
• Certifications: ICA, CAMS, or equivalent certification (KYC/EDD/AML/Fraud/Screening/Risk focused).
• Ability to use analytics tools like Looker, Superset, or other similar platforms.