Head of Risk

The role

You will lead and scale the global second line risk management function across worldwide operations. You will develop risk frameworks, strategies, and governance to support business growth and ensure products operate within approved risk appetite.

What you will do

• Develop and lead the global risk management function and framework.
• Create and execute risk strategies, guidelines, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Partner with various stakeholders to manage risk at product, portfolio, and entity levels.
• Communicate risk appetite across the company.
• Collaborate with leaders to minimize exposure to financial crime, fraud, and enterprise risks.
• Monitor and embed the Risk Management Framework across global entities.
• Work with senior executives on risk, control, and strategic decision-making.
• Advise management on external risk, governance, and regulatory requirements.
• Champion a strong risk culture across the company.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a high performing global team of risk professionals.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Risk Management, Law, or a related field.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in Risk Management, Compliance, Control, or Audit within fintech, payments, remittance, banking, or broader financial services.
• Strong experience building or leading risk management frameworks, governance models, and oversight programmes in a complex, multi jurisdiction environment.
• Demonstrated ability to define and operationalise risk appetite, policies, metrics, and escalation processes.
• Experience working closely with senior management and cross functional teams.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to influence at executive level.
• Experience leading international teams and operating effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Nice to have

• Experience in fintech and financial services, especially in payments, consumer finance, remittance, or other global money movement businesses.
• A combination of advisory and hands on risk management experience within a financial institution or similarly regulated environment.
• Experience partnering with regulators, auditors, boards, or executive risk committees on enterprise risk, governance, and control matters.
• Comfort working across a broad risk landscape, including enterprise risk, fraud, counterparty risk, operational risk, and regulatory risk.
• An independent, high ownership mindset, with the judgment and pragmatism to balance control effectiveness, innovation, and growth in a scaling global business.

About the company

Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. It provides financial infrastructure for over 675,000 businesses globally.