Head of Regulated Entities, EMEA

WEX Inc; Ireland; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus

Hybrid work

Pension PRSA

Private Medical Insurance

Group Life Assurance

Wellbeing platforms

40-hour week

Job summary

WEX Inc. is seeking a Head of Regulated Entities, EMEA to provide strategic oversight and operational governance for the company's EMI entities across Ireland and the UK.

The role requires close collaboration with the Central Bank of Ireland and the FCA, ensuring compliance, risk management, and governance at scale within a multi-jurisdictional, matrixed organization. You will drive operational resilience, outsourcing oversight, and IT governance while leveraging AI and automation to modernize

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in regulated financial services or EMI/payment institutions.
• Proven ability to govern across multiple jurisdictions and regulators (CBI/FCA).
• Experience managing Outsourced Service Providers under regulatory guidelines.
• Strong governance, risk management, and compliance mindset.

Responsibilities

• Oversee regulatory governance and operational oversight for EMIs in EMEA.
• Serve as primary regulator liaison with CBI and FCA for OFEL and OFL.
• Drive operational resilience, outsourcing oversight, and IT stability across entities.
• Lead strategic initiatives with ELT to align regulatory strategy with business goals.
• Champion use of AI, automation, and analytics to improve governance and reporting.

Skills

Executive leadership

Regulatory compliance

Outsourcing management

IT operations oversight

Stakeholder management

Tools

AI tooling

Automation platforms

Job description

Head of Regulated Entities, EMEA / Hybrid 1-2 days per week in the Dublin office / Competitive basic salary, plus Annual STIP Bonus / Benefits / Permanent

About the Team/Role

The Head of Regulated Entities, EMEA (HRE) is a critical executive leadership role responsible for the strategic oversight, day-to-day management, and operational governance of WEX's regulated electronic money institutions (EMIs) across the EMEA region: Optal Financial Europe Limited (OFEL) in Dublin, Ireland, and Optal Financial Limited (OFL) in London, United Kingdom.

Acting as a pivotal liaison to key regulatory authorities, primarily the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the HRE ensures that all entity operations maintain the highest standards of compliance, risk management, and governance. The successful candidate will drive the operational execution of strategic initiatives set by the WEX Group Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and local Boards of Directors.

In this role, you will be expected to foster operational excellence by adopting modern tools and capabilities, including AI, automation, and advanced analytics, to optimize governance, scale operational resilience frameworks, and drive efficient execution in a multi-jurisdictional, matrixed environment.

What's on offer?

• Highly competitive salary (dependant on experience)
• Annual Company Bonus
• 40-hour week - Monday to Friday, no evenings or weekends
• Hybrid working (1-2 days per week in the Dublin office)
• Pension PRSA - 7% Employer and 3% Employee
• Private Medical Insurance
• Group Life Assurance
• Employee wellbeing platforms

How you'll make an impact

• Regulatory Governance & Operational Oversight
• Regulatory Liaison: Serve as the primary operational liaison point for regulators, particularly the CBI and FCA, ensuring full alignment with regulatory expectations and statutory obligations across OFEL and OFL.
• Compliance & Governance Alignment: Ensure all regional operations comply strictly with applicable legal and regulatory frameworks, partnering closely with the Heads of Risk & Compliance to maintain and advance robust governance and oversight models.
• Operational Resilience Framework: Accountable for the Operational Resilience Frameworks of OFEL and OFL, including the operational resilience of critical third-party and internal service providers; provide specialist guidance to the OFEL and OFL Boards.
• Outsourcing Oversight: Maintain full accountability for the management, oversight, and performance monitoring of services delivered via internal Outsourced Service Providers (OSPs) and external vendors. Supervise the Outsourced Service Implementation Manager in carrying out day-to-day operational delivery oversight.
• IT & Technology Supervision: Direct oversight of all IT-related operational matters, ensuring systemic stability, data security, and seamless service delivery.
• Individual Accountability Framework (IAF): Take direct responsibility for the annual certification and ongoing oversight of all relevant employees under the CBI's IAF regime.

Strategic Leadership, Innovation & Business Partnership

• Executive Alignment & Strategy: Implement strategic priorities and key initiatives defined by the WEX Group ELT and the OFEL/OFL Boards of Directors.
• Financial & Resource Management: Partner with OFEL and OFL Finance Directors to manage Ireland- and UK-based personnel and operational expenditure within agreed budgets and target metrics.
• AI & Process Innovation: Identify and leverage modern digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), and automated reporting platforms, to modernize regulatory operations, streamline oversight of outsourced providers, and enhance data-driven decision-making.
• Board Communication: Communicate proactively and transparently with the Group ELT and local Boards of Directors, keeping them informed of business performance, emerging risks, regulatory changes, and strategic recommendations.
• Partner & Key Stakeholder Management: Maintain and nurture key strategic relationships at local and Group levels with critical commercial and ecosystem partners (e.g., Mastercard, eNett, and banking partners).
• People Leadership & Coaching: Provide guidance, mentorship, performance management, and continuous development for all Ireland- and UK-based staff across the regulated entities.

Experience you’ll bring

• Progressive leadership experience in operations (IT ops, outsourcing, general management), legal, compliance, or risk management within a regulated financial services environment (EMIs or Payment Institutions strongly preferred).
• Proven track record of executive leadership within a regulated payments or card issuing environment, including practical operational knowledge of card scheme operations.
• Extensive hands‑on experience managing Outsourced Service Providers (OSPs) in compliance with FCA, EBA, and CBI outsourcing guidelines and industry best practices.
• Demonstrated success supporting co