Airwallex

Head of Risk Operations

UK - London. Posted 3 months ago

The role

You will lead a global team responsible for defining procedures and delivering operational excellence across client onboarding, periodic review, and in-life behaviour. You will set the vision, strategy, and execution for Risk Operations across Acquiring, Issuing, and Credit Risk domains.

What you will do

  • Set the vision, strategy and execution for Risk Operations across Acquiring, Issuing and Credit Risk
  • Build a scalable operating model with clear OKRs and data-driven performance management
  • Develop a resourcing strategy to balance 24/7 coverage, customer experience and cost efficiency
  • Raise the quality and consistency of procedures, playbooks, control frameworks and documentation
  • Partner with 2LOD, Risk Product, Engineering and Commercial teams to make high-quality decisions
  • Lead the team's AI and automation transformation

Required qualifications

  • Senior leadership in large-scale, multi-jurisdiction operations within a regulated financial-services, payments or fintech business
  • Track record of scaling Risk Operations across at least two of Payments, Issuing and Credit Risk across multiple geographies
  • Background in Fraud Operations and account takeover risk control
  • Strong commercial and analytical judgement
  • Experience operating at the intersection of Operations, Product and Risk
  • Demonstrated delivery of automation or AI-led transformation in an operations setting
  • Experience using big data and analytics tools, including SQL, Databricks and BI tooling

Nice to have

  • Experience with cross-border payments and multi-entity, multi-licence environments
  • Experience across Payments, Issuing and Credit Risk
  • Comfort working with highly technical, API-first products
  • Exposure to IPO readiness or public-company control environments
  • A top-tier consulting or operator-investor background

About the company

Airwallex is an AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. The company provides financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.