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About the Role

Wise is seeking a Head of Financial Crime Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer to lead its Japan financial crime compliance program. This role involves protecting customers, preventing financial crime, and ensuring the company grows safely while building money without borders.

Responsibilities

Lead the Japan financial crime programme and exercise responsibilities of Japan MLRO.
Set priorities and maintain a clear local framework covering anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, proliferation financing and sanctions.
Translate Japanese requirements and Group standards into effective policies, controls and accountabilities.
Lead financial crime regulatory engagement with authorities like the Ministry of Finance and Financial Services Agency.
Coordinate engagement with relevant authorities and lead responses to inspections and information requests.
Discharge the sanctions compliance mandate upon appointment as Officer Responsible for Sanctions Compliance.
Take responsibility for the relevant sanctions risk assessment, policies, mitigation measures, procedures, training and record-keeping arrangements.
Understand and assess financial crime risks across customers, products, payment corridors, delivery channels and partnerships.
Lead financial crime risk assessments and use findings to prioritise control improvements.
Strengthen customer and transaction controls by providing independent advice and challenge on various compliance areas.
Demonstrate control effectiveness through risk-based second-line monitoring and testing.
Collaborate with the APAC Compliance Monitoring and Testing function.
Work with Data, Engineering and Operations to assess coverage, data quality, rules and thresholds.
Drive corrective action by requiring accountable teams to address control weaknesses.
Support safe product development by advising on new products, payment flows, customer segments and Wise Platform arrangements.
Establish clear financial crime control requirements and exercise assigned compliance approvals before launch or material change.
Oversee global delivery for Japan, assessing activities performed by regional and global teams and outsourced providers.
Ensure global capabilities meet Japan’s requirements and escalate unresolved gaps.
Bring clear decisions to governance forums, presenting financial crime risks, incidents, control performance and remediation.
Exercise delegated approvals, identify matters requiring escalation and make clear recommendations on resources and management action.
Build capability and accountability by delivering practical guidance and training.
Coach colleagues handling complex issues and help teams understand their responsibilities.
Translate regulatory developments into timely changes to the programme.

Requirements

Substantial financial crime compliance experience in Japan, typically ten or more years.
Leadership of a significant programme, function or control area.
Strong working knowledge of the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds, Payment Services Act, Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, and relevant Ministry of Finance and Financial Services Agency guidance.
Ability to apply Japanese regulatory requirements to a digital payments business.
Understanding of customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions, investigations and Japanese suspicious transaction reporting.
Experience making consequential compliance decisions, documenting reasoning, and challenging senior stakeholders constructively.
Ability to maintain an independent position under pressure and recognise when escalation is necessary.
Substantial experience managing Japanese regulatory engagement, inspections or remediation.
Ability to set priorities, develop colleagues and secure action across teams outside your reporting line.
Comfort working within a wider compliance function while taking responsibility for your own mandate.
Strong professional fluency in Japanese and English.
Ability to interpret regulatory materials, prepare clear governance papers and explain complex issues to technical and non-technical audiences.
Ability to use data to assess risk and control performance, question assumptions and work with specialists to improve monitoring and screening.
Ability to turn complex issues into practical plans, establish ownership and follow through to demonstrable results.
Comfort moving between strategic oversight and detailed problem-solving.
Desire to understand how products work and how to prevent their misuse.
Ability to develop proportionate controls that protect customers and support straightforward customer experiences.
Previous experience as an MLRO, deputy MLRO, officer responsible for sanctions compliance or Japan financial crime lead is valuable.
Experience with cross-border payments, digital onboarding or platform partnerships is welcome.
Qualifications such as CAMS or ICA are welcome.

Skills

Financial crime compliance
Anti-money laundering
Counter-terrorist financing
Sanctions compliance
Regulatory engagement
Risk assessment
Customer due diligence
Transaction monitoring
Suspicious transaction reporting
Leadership
Influence
Communication
Data analysis
Problem-solving
Cross-border payments
Digital onboarding
Platform partnerships

Location

Japan

Work Type

Flexible working

Experience Level

Ten or more years of financial crime compliance experience in Japan
Leadership experience

Benefits

Flexible working
Paid annual holiday, sick days, parental leave and other leave opportunities
6 weeks of paid sabbatical after 4 years at Wise on top of annual leave

About the Company

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money.
Wise is on a mission to make people's and businesses' lives easier and save them money when sending money internationally, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments.
The company is creating an entirely new network for the world's money.

Equal Opportunity

Wise believes teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.
The company is proud to have a truly international team and celebrates its differences.
Inclusive teams help Wise live its values and ensure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards its mission and able to progress in their careers.