KYC Operations Senior Lead - Specialised Markets APAC

Wise; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Wise is seeking a KYC Operations Senior Lead to oversee multiple KYC Team Leads and their analysts, driving performance, process improvements, and adherence to regulatory obligations. The role emphasizes ownership, scalability, and a strong customer-centric mindset.

You will coach and develop mid-to-large teams, manage cross-functional stakeholders, and ensure high-quality due diligence reviews while meeting operational metrics across Wise-wide objectives.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and written English; strong communication skills.
• 8+ years of experience in Operations (CDD/EDD/AML or Risk Assessment).
• Minimum 1 year in KYC/AML and regulatory framework."
• At least 2+ years leading medium to large teams (20–60).
• Ability to multi-task, be proactive and independent.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work under pressure.
• Identify gaps in policies and provide detailed feedback with examples."
• Proven ownership mindset and ability to work well in a team.

Responsibilities

• Group Leadership: drive a customer-focused culture and build high-performing teams.
• People management: coach KYC Team Leads and develop team talent.
• Operational management: improve processes, increase automation, refine SOPs.
• Performance management: track KPIs and coach teams to targets.
• Expertise Sharing: train peers, stay updated on regulatory obligations.
• Planning and execution: deliver on department goals with accountability.
• Stakeholder management: communicate clearly and coordinate actions across teams.

Skills

Team leadership

KYC/AML domain knowledge

Process improvement

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Business/Law

CAMS/ICA certification

Job description

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.

More about our mission and what we offer.

Job Description

Role & Job purpose

The KYC Operations Senior Lead is responsible for overseeing multiple KYC Team Leads and their respective analyst teams. Your focus will be on driving team performance, streamlining processes, and being an advocate of the Wise values. You will need to ensure that your team is consistently delivering high-quality customer due diligence reviews as well as meeting the operational metrics according to the organisation’s wider objectives.

Job Responsibilities

• Group Leadership Lead by example and drive a customer focused mindset across your team as well as the wider organisation. Promote a culture of ownership and accountability. Build high-performing teams that value knowledge sharing and continuous learning.

• People management Coach and develop a strong team of KYC Team Leads. Come up with initiatives to help your team to grow their skills, behaviours, and competencies. Design and manage development plans on identified opportunities. Conducts career map check-ins and makes recommendations for promotions, salary raises, and other decisions.

• Operational management Identify and propose opportunities for process improvements. Collaborate with central functions and other operational teams as needed to increase automation and operational efficiency. Monitor team resource allocation and refine standard operating procedures to improve the ways we work.

• Performance management Measure group wide KPIs and ensure that your team leads as well as their direct reports meet performance targets and quality standards. Conduct regular one on one coaching sessions, usually on a weekly or biweekly basis. Act as a key escalation point for issues that cannot be resolved by team leads. Generate reports based on teams performance and propose corrective actions on identified opportunities.

• Expertise Sharing Be a subject matter expert in your area with the ability to train and coach your team on operational topics. Maintain a great understanding of our regulatory obligations, internal policies, and applying a risk-based approach to deterring and preventing money laundering and financial crime. Able to assist senior leadership with audits and developing our policies and processes.

• Planning and execution Ensure operational team plans are set in place and provide insights to other stakeholders. Take full accountability in delivering your own initiatives and making sure your group is making progress on their goals. Effectively executing and supporting department goals through delegation and empowerment of team leads. There are clear initiatives within your group that are used as a basis of larger team plans.

• Stakeholder management and communication Collaborate closely with your stakeholders ensuring clear communication and coordination of actions. Your initiatives and reports are well documented and you choose the right platforms to communicate to a wider audience in a timely manner. The documentation has a clear scope and includes potential impact in different areas. You can communicate confidently with difficult stakeholders. Proactively work on improving cross-team communication, acting as the liaison between different layers of the organization and your own team leads.

Qualifications

Requirements

• Excellent verbal and written English skills (additional language skills are a plus) with the ability to clearly articulate your thoughts.

• A minimum of 8+ years of experience in Operations (preferably in CDD/EDD/AML or Risk Assessment domain).

• A minimum of 1 year of experience in KYC/AML, Financial Compliance field and having great understanding of the regulatory framework surrounding KYC/AML

• At least 2+ years of leading medium to large sized teams (20 to 60 employees).

• You are punctual, independent, proactive and willing to get things done.

• You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, strong organisational skills, great time management, and ability to work in a fast paced and high pressure environment.

• Ability to multi-task and take responsibility in challenging situations;

• You are capable of identifying gaps in policies and processes and providing detailed feedback, including examples when possible, through the established communication channels.

• Proven track record of taking individual ownership and responsibilities as well as being a great team-player

• Ability to analyze and move the team's metrics.

Nice to have:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Law, or related field.

• Certifications: ICA, CAMS, or equivalent certification (EDD/AML focused).

• 2-3 years experience in KYC/AML, financial crime, compliance, or a related field within the financial services industry.

• Ability to use analytics tools like, looker, superset, or other.

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.

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.

Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.