Head of Financial Crime Compliance and MLRO, Japan

Company Description

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 part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money. For everyone, everywhere.

More about our mission and what we offer.

Job Description

Wise is on a mission to build money without borders. We help people and businesses move and manage money internationally, making their lives easier and saving them money.

Protecting our customers and preventing financial crime are essential to that mission. We’re looking for a Head of Financial Crime Compliance and Money Laundering Reporting Officer to lead our Japan financial crime compliance programme and help us grow safely.

You’ll work closely with regional and global specialists across Compliance, Product, Engineering, Operations, Banking and Wise Platform. You’ll bring Japanese requirements into decisions about our products, processes and controls, combining deep technical expertise with practical leadership.

You’ll serve as Japan MLRO. The role is also intended to hold the formal appointment of Officer Responsible for Sanctions Compliance under the applicable Ministry of Finance foreign-exchange framework, subject to regulatory confirmation and the entity’s appointment process.

You’ll have defined decision-making authority and the ability to escalate material concerns directly to the Board. You’ll contribute to the Japan Risk and Compliance Committee and attend relevant Board discussions to present financial crime matters.

Here’s how you’ll be contributing:

• 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, including taking on a local director appointment if required to meet regulatory expectations.

• Lead financial crime regulatory engagement. Coordinate engagement with the Ministry of Finance, Financial Services Agency, Kanto Local Finance Bureau and other relevant authorities, working with the Japan Compliance Lead. Lead responses within your remit to inspections, information requests and findings, and explain how our controls operate in practice.

• 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. Exercise required approvals within the agreed governance framework and bring matters requiring Board approval to the appropriate forum.

• Understand and assess our risks. Lead financial crime risk assessments across customers, products, payment corridors, delivery channels and partnerships. Use the findings to prioritise control improvements and assess proposed changes to the business.

• Strengthen customer and transaction controls. Provide independent advice and challenge on identity verification, beneficial ownership, customer risk assessment, enhanced due diligence, ongoing monitoring, sanctions screening and controls addressing anti-social forces.

• Demonstrate control effectiveness. Lead risk-based second-line monitoring and testing, collaborating with the APAC Compliance Monitoring and Testing function. Work with Data, Engineering and Operations to assess coverage, data quality, rules and thresholds, and use investigation outcomes and emerging typologies to improve detection.

• Drive corrective action. Require accountable teams to address control weaknesses, agree clear owners and deadlines, and verify that remediation addresses the underlying problem. Exercise delegated authority to require protective action where necessary and escalate matters beyond your authority promptly.

• Support safe product development. Advise 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. Assess the activities performed by regional and global teams and outsourced providers, including quality, timeliness and backlogs. Ensure global capabilities meet Japan’s requirements and escalate unresolved gaps.

• Bring clear decisions to governance forums. Present financial crime risks, incidents, control performance and remediation to the Japan Risk and Compliance Committee and Board. Exercise delegated approvals, identify matters requiring escalation and make clear recommendations on resources and management action.

• Build capability and accountability. Deliver practical guidance and training, coach colleagues handling complex issues and help teams understand their responsibilities. Translate regulatory developments into timely changes to the programme.

This role will give you the opportunity to:

• Shape financial crime compliance for Wise in Japan and influence how our regional and global capabilities meet local needs.

• Hold a defined local mandate with meaningful decision-making authority and access to committees.

• Work directly with teams building and operating international payments products.

• Turn regulatory expectations and financial crime insights into measurable improvements.

• Develop colleagues and lead initiatives across local, regional and global teams.

Qualifications

A bit about you:

You bring substantial financial crime compliance experience in Japan, typically ten or more years, including leadership of a significant programme, function or control area. We welcome relevant experience from payments, fintech and banking.

More specifically, we’re looking for someone who can demonstrate these attributes:

• Regulatory expertise. You have a 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. You can apply these requirements to a digital payments business.

• Practical financial crime experience. You understand customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions, investigations and Japanese suspicious transaction reporting, including how these controls interact.

• Senior judgement. You have made consequential compliance decisions, documented your reasoning and challenged senior stakeholders constructively. You can maintain an independent position under pressure and recognise when escalation is necessary.

• Regulatory credibility. You have substantial experience managing Japanese regulatory engagement, inspections or remediation. Experience with Ministry of Finance foreign-exchange inspections would be particularly valuable.

• Leadership and influence. You can set priorities, develop colleagues and secure action across teams outside your reporting line. You are comfortable working within a wider compliance function while taking responsibility for your own mandate.

• Communication. You have strong professional fluency in Japanese and English. You can interpret regulatory materials, prepare clear governance papers and explain complex issues to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Data and technology. You can use data to assess risk and control performance, question assumptions and work with specialists to improve monitoring and screening.

• Delivery. You turn complex issues into practical plans, establish ownership and follow through to demonstrable results. You are comfortable moving between strategic oversight and detailed problem-solving.

• Customer focus and curiosity. You want to understand how our products work and how to prevent the misuse of it. You 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 would be valuable. Experience with cross-border payments, digital onboarding or platform partnerships, and qualifications such as CAMS or ICA, would also be welcome.

Key benefits:

• Flexible working - whether it’s working from home, school plays or life admin we get that flexibility is essential and you’re trusted to do the right thing and be responsible

• 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

Additional Information

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.

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.

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