Compliance Senior Manager - Japan

We’re looking for a Senior Compliance Manager focusing on Regulatory Compliance for our local licences and providing compliance advisory and oversight with a focus on Wise Platforms. Wise Platform helps banks, software companies and large enterprises leverage Wise’s infrastructure to offer their customers world class payments products through their own channels. We’ve launched partnerships globally, with the likes of Google Pay, Aspire, Xero and Mandiri, and today have 70+ global banks and platforms connected and powered by Wise Platform.

Based in Tokyo, you will work with a growing team of multidisciplinary specialists (Product, Banking, Operations based in our offices in APAC, Estonia and HQ in London) to help deliver world class products and services in Japan. You’ll help manage and strengthen the team’s relationships with regulators such as KLFB and FSA, by having a clear overview of our regulatory requirements and how we meet them through our products, processes and controls.

You will be working closely with teams across Wise (including first line Wise Platform teams, Product, and Banking teams) to provide advice on new regulations and emerging risks, ensure new products and services are launched in compliance with regulatory requirements, and oversee the firm’s regulatory and financial crime controls. Externally, you are also responsible for defending Wise’s compliance program to regulators, law enforcement, and partner banks.

Wise has already pioneered new ways for people to transfer money across borders and currencies. Our customers can also manage their hard-earned money with the world’s first platform to offer true multi-currency banking. Your mission is to play a key role in supporting a compliance program that is driven by Wise’s mission for money without borders, transparency, and protecting customers. We are looking for a seasoned professional who can bring both in-depth compliance expertise and commercial foresight to our team. This role is for a natural problem-solver who is passionate about building efficient and effective risk management programs and communicating those solutions clearly to a wide range of stakeholders.

Here’s how you’ll be contributing to Core Compliance

• Maintain our licences for Japan: (i) regulatory reporting and filing, (ii) regulatory liaison and (iii) leading audits with the regulator.
• Build trust with our regulator: manage and coordinate meaningful reporting internally and externally, respond to information requests, and proactively communicate product changes and notifiable events.
• Conduct regulatory analysis and horizon scanning for Japan, assess the impact of changes, advise product teams and drive the implementation of required updates.
• Respond to regulatory compliance and Wise Platform escalations and requests submitted from 1LOD, Product and Partnership teams
• Review and approve Wise Platform partners and perform oversight on the Wise Platform partner risks
• Manage and oversight compliance with local obligations, including monitoring and overseeing the mapping of controls and assurance activities and providing guidance and challenge to 1LoD teams on the development of controls and new products or features to ensure they are effective and are compliant with local laws and regulations.
• Provide compliance advisory to Wise Platform teams and lead regulatory engagements required
• Develop and maintain compliance frameworks, including the systems to track and monitor compliance risks, compliance with policies and documentation and support in audits.
• Work with teams from different countries to educate them about Japanese regulatory requirements, and empower teams to build risk based processes which are clearly documented. Identify areas where we can improve risk management to allow us to achieve more with our product.
• Scrutinise and test compliance programs, including quality assurance, interpret findings and work with Operational teams to develop our risk based approach, provide constructive feedback and be responsible for resolutions, including addressing any audit findings.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to collaborate and contribute to quarterly and annual objectives
• Assist with various compliance related projects and tasks as required.

This role will give you the opportunity to:

• Develop an in-depth knowledge of Wise’s business and get to know teams across Wise as you work with them to understand the product and regulatory framework.
• Help keep compliance right at the heart of our product developments by managing our compliance obligations in Japan, managing regulatory change, driving second line monitoring and oversight, and providing assurance to the Senior Leadership team and local entity Boards.
• Support new initiatives by ensuring new services and Wise Platform arrangements are compliantly launched.
• Take on and own new projects that arise in any area of the compliance programme on a project basis. Take a problem-solving approach, whether designing a new process to be implemented or driving an effort for multiple teams to work together to remediate control gaps or process enhancements.
• Global cross team collaboration projects with focus on delivering impact for our fastest growing APAC markets - Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, India and more.

A bit about you:

Our ideal candidate will have over 8 years experience in managing compliance with financial regulation in Japan, great communication and organisational skills, tons of motivation and positivity. More specifically, we’re looking for someone who can demonstrate they have these attributes:

• Theory. You are an expert in regulatory compliance and may be currently working, have worked, or work directly with the Japan Financial Services Agency or the Local Finance Bureau.
• Regulatory knowledge. You have a good working knowledge of Japanese regulations and relevant guidelines such as the ‘Payment Service Act’, ‘Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds' and ‘Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act' etc. (資金決済法、犯罪収益移転防止法、外国為替及び外国貿易法など).
• Communication. You are bilingual and have high fluency in both Japanese and English. You can use this ability to interpret and translate regulations and policies in Japanese / English and communicate with people from all teams (for example Engineering, Product, Operations and Compliance).
• Practice. Ability to challenge the status quo and work across multiple products to help Wise on its mission to make moving money: instant, convenient, transparent and eventually free.
• Get the job done. You have a sense of urgency and an ability to work well under pressure, to multitask and prioritise, be accountable and work to tight deadlines.
• Passion. You get a kick out improving current practices and processes and can apply different compliance strategies to develop multiple compliance frameworks.
• Development. You’ve considered the challenges and development opportunities of working at a fast growing company and are looking to get into FinTech or payments compliance. Here’s a taster of what it’s like working at Wise.
• Project management and communication. You have the ability to write and communicate clearly about our products, processes and controls as well as how they can be improved. You’re able to analyse different viewpoints across stakeholders and tailor your communication to get the message across.
• Autonomous. You’re a proactive problem solver and able to work independently to contribute to the team’s overall objectives. You’re adaptable to evolving priorities and have a strong ability to project manage such changes effectively.
• Curious. You have an insatiable curiosity about our products, processes and puts our customers interests at the forefront. You’re excited to make an impact at Wise and enjoy working with cross functional teams to fuel the revolution.

For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences.
Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.

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