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 initiat...