Associate Director, KYC

The role

You will lead second-line oversight of global KYC, Enhanced Due Diligence, and periodic review frameworks. You will partner with KYC Operations and advise Commercial and Sales teams on complex deal structures and high-risk customer profiles.

What you will do

• Own and elevate global KYC strategy, policy framework, and second-line governance.
• Provide independent second-line oversight across KYC, Enhanced Due Diligence, and periodic review.
• Develop and maintain KYC policy and procedure.
• Partner with KYC Operations to enhance control processes and decision-making.
• Improve Customer Risk Acceptance reviews by challenging risk identification and testing mitigations.
• Advise Commercial and Sales teams on complex deal structures and high-risk customer profiles.
• Partner with Product, Data and Engineering to embed regulatory controls and AI-enabled improvements.
• Maintain compliance documentation, quality assurance, and audit readiness.

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant AML/KYC experience focused on complex corporate clients, financial institutions or fintech platforms.
• A strong track record designing, managing and governing scalable second-line KYC frameworks.
• 3+ years' experience leading, mentoring or managing compliance teams.
• Demonstrated experience providing second-line oversight, independent challenge and risk-based decision-making.
• Experience supporting regulatory examination processes and engagement.
• Experience reviewing or approving Customer Risk Acceptance documentation.
• Experience overseeing compliance reviews or walkthroughs for complex corporate, embedded finance or platform clients.
• Ability to advise senior Commercial and Sales stakeholders on complex deal structures and high-risk customer profiles.
• Ability to partner with Product, Engineering, Data and Business stakeholders to translate requirements into automated workflows.
• Strong leadership, communication and relationship management skills.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Nice to have

• Experience leveraging or evaluating AI-enabled tools in compliance or KYC workflows.
• Experience in FinTech, global cross-border payments, RegTech, management consulting or digital asset environments.
• CAMS, CFCS, CFE or equivalent industry certification.
• A quantitative, technical, legal or data-oriented degree.
• Familiarity with Google Workspace, Slack, Mac environments, modern data tools and AI-assisted workflow platforms.
• Experience monitoring regulatory, enforcement and industry developments across cross-border payments, global banking or digital assets.

About the company

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