Head of KYC Operations - APAC

Wise; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 3,950,000 - 5,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Responsibilities include setting objectives, managing budgets, and ensuring service speed, accuracy, and regulatory adherence across internal and outsourced teams.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership of large, multi-location teams in a regulated payments/fintech environment.
• Strong knowledge of KYC, AML, and compliance controls.
• Track record delivering quality, compliant processes at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead the KYC Operations Function to ensure compliance and instant service.
• Set strategic objectives, KPIs, and governance for 150+ staff across locations.
• Collaborate with Risk, Compliance, Product, and external vendors to optimize processes.

Skills

Leadership

KYC Operations

Regulatory compliance

People management

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

• Compensation: INR 3,950,000 - INR 5,500,000 - yearly

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.

Your mission is to lead the KYC Operations Function organization to Ensure its Compliance and Provide Instant Service with best-in‑class Quality. And to do this in a scalable, cost‑efficient manner, working in partnership with other Wise teams and functions, most prominently with Wise Product and Compliance.

What you’ll be doing

In this role, you will lead a team of Area Leads and their functional areas to drive strategic direction and operational excellence. You are responsible for setting and executing strategic objectives, building high‑performing teams, and ensuring they meet operational and quality targets. The role usually involves overseeing 150+ employees across multiple locations both Internally and Outsourced, ensuring achieving the organization’s mission, and aligning operational strategies with business goals

You will need to ensure the top-notch delivery in your team’s Quality, Compliance, Speed and Cost of Operations. Some examples of your Success metrics might include but not be limited to:

For the Customers: Quality of KYC Function processes (false positive and negatives), Resolution of customer-facing cases, Response SLA, KYC‑related appeals upheld

A few ways in which you’ll contribute to Wise’s success in this role

Setting the Strategy for KYC Operations Function

Lead the design of the vision and strategy for your team, aligned with the overall Servicing Strategy, in making the processes more compliant, faster, better and more scalable, with a clear customer focus

Building the best processes

Build and develop a robust and compliant customer onboarding program

Build the necessary support systems for the processes: Metrics, Targets, Governance

Utilize data and user research to optimize our on‑boarding experience and transform how we currently fight financial crime and fulfill regulatory obligations

Drive improvement initiatives and manage an efficient process while providing continuous effective risk management and control

Manage and optimize 3rd party services and outsourced vendors across the KYC operating model

Work closely with our Risk and Compliance teams to align on risk appetites and capabilities to support the growth of the business

Nurturing a great team

Ensure that the right KYC Operations Function organization and the right leaders are in place

Build and develop a people strategy that allows execution upon the vision - cross functions and locations

Revamp the People management processes together with the People Operations team - skills, career paths, performance management

Oversight of team's budgets and high level reporting.

Set KPIs and developmental objectives across the current team of 150+ people (regional teams across across the globe)

Partnering with Product

Work closely with Product teams to ship and deliver best in market KYC products and experiences to our customers

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. As the overall lead of this function, you are expected to take on, and hold accountability for, anything that is required in order to deliver on the mission and the performance of this function

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.