Payment Operations Risk & Controls Team Lead

About the Position

We’re looking for a Payment Operations Risk & Controls Team Lead to lead our Control Assurance & Advisory team within PayOps Risk & Controls in Tallinn.

In this role, you will lead and develop a team that provides practical assurance, risk advice, and constructive challenge across various Payment Operations teams. Your main mission is to ensure that key risks are managed effectively and that controls operate as intended. Additionally, you will be expected to drive strategic initiatives that deliver a lasting impact across the entire organization.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will set direction and standards for the team while remaining close enough to the work to support risk assessments, control decisions/ assessments, issues, and stakeholder conversations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Control Assurance & Advisory team, setting clear priorities, objectives, and performance expectations.
• Build a high-performing and inclusive team through regular feedback, meaningful 1:1s, individual development plans, and effective performance conversations.
• Set the team’s assurance and advisory priorities in line with the wider Risk & Controls and Payment Operations strategy.
• Oversee high-quality risk assessments, control testing, monitoring, and issues and actions management.
• Evaluate whether controls are appropriately designed and operating effectively, and communicate clearly where risk remains outside the accepted level.
• Ensure audit and risk mitigation actions have clear owners, appropriate evidence, and realistic completion dates, and escalate when progress or quality is insufficient.
• Maintain accurate and decision-useful records of risks, controls, issues, and actions in Risk Management Tool Optro.
• Act as a trusted risk advisor to PayOps, Product, Compliance, second-line Risk, Internal Audit, Finance, Treasury, and other relevant Wise teams.
• Lead cross-functional improvement projects, measure their impact, and remove activities that do not provide sufficient risk or business value.
• Provide clear, concise reporting on material risks, control performance, and remediation progress to senior business and risk forums.
• Strengthen the team’s frameworks, SOPs, and assurance standards, and support their consistent adoption.
• Forecast future capacity and capability needs, promote knowledge sharing, and maintain appropriate succession plans.
• Deputise for the Risk & Controls Senior Lead when required.

Requirements

• Strong operational-risk experience, including risk assessments, controls testing, and issues and actions management.
• Experience leading and developing people, including setting priorities, giving feedback, coaching, and handling performance conversations.
• Ability to distinguish between completing a control activity and demonstrating that risk is being managed effectively.
• Ability to assess complex information, make proportionate risk decisions, and explain your reasoning clearly.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and translating strategic objectives into practical plans, ownership, and measurable outcomes.
• Comfortable challenging senior stakeholders while maintaining trusted and constructive working relationships.
• Ability to communicate material risk information clearly, both in writing and in senior discussions.
• Use data to prioritize work, assess control performance, and demonstrate impact.
• Ability to balance being a supportive leader with holding people and stakeholders accountable.
• Proactive, pragmatic, and comfortable working across several complex topics at the same time.

Nice to Have

• Experience in payments, fintech, banking, or another regulated operational environment would be valuable.
• Familiarity with Optro or a similar risk-management platform would also be beneficial.

We Offer

• Competitive salary: EUR 3750 - EUR 5100 monthly.
• Full-time position.
• Work in Tallinn, Estonia (on-site).

About the Company

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.

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.

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