FinCrime Operations Team Lead

Job Description Wise is seeking a dynamic and experienced Team Lead to join our Financial Crime operations team (focused on suspicious activity reporting) in Austin, Texas . We are looking for an individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment, is passionate about mitigating financial crime risk, and excels at building and driving high-performing operational teams. This is not a "floor manager" role; you will take charge, coach effectively, and champion a culture of excellence and accountability. Your Mission As the Team Lead, your mission is to lead, develop, and inspire a team of specialists dedicated to identifying and reporting activities to financial intelligence units. You will build an efficient, compliant, and high-quality operational unit by making data-driven decisions, implementing process improvements, managing performance, mitigating risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance. What You'll Get To Do Lead and Develop a High-Performing Team: Directly lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of specialists, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement. Drive Performance and Quality: Own and manage your team's KPIs, service delivery goals, and quality standards, implementing strategies to meet and exceed targets. Champion Operational Excellence: Design, implement, and oversee operational processes and task allocation to ensure timely, accurate, and efficient case resolution. Uphold Rigorous Standards: Ensure strict adherence to internal policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Decisive Performance Management: Provide clear, constructive feedback and take decisive action against underperformance. Stakeholder Engagement and Representation: Represent the team's operations, policies, and processes to stakeholders as needed. Complex Case and Escalation Management: Act as the primary escalation point for complex cases, collaborating with other functions while maintaining strong customer empathy and communication. Regulatory Adherence and Change Management: Ensure ongoing compliance with regulations and manage the operational impact of regulatory changes while preserving efficiency and customer experience. Risk Identification and Mitigation: Identify operational risks and vulnerabilities, contributing to effective controls and mitigation strategies. Continuous Improvement: Seek and drive opportunities for process adherence, automation, and tooling enhancements to improve efficiency and quality. Capacity Planning and Resource Management: Contribute to capacity planning so the team meets fluctuating demands and service level agreements. Role Model Leadership: Set the highest standards for performance, diligence, and professional conduct, serving as a role model for peers. Qualifications Proven Leadership Experience: Leadership of operational teams in a fast-paced, regulated environment such as financial services or fintech. Financial Crime Expertise (Preferred): Knowledge or experience in AML, fraud detection, internal controls, or financial crime reviews. Decisive and Action-Oriented: Proactive, results-driven leader who can take charge, make tough decisions, and hold the team accountable. Exceptional Performance Management Skills: Ability to set expectations, manage performance, coach, and address underperformance. Communicator: Strong spoken and written English communication skills and ability to convey complex issues clearly. Analytical and Data-Driven: Understanding of operational metrics, ability to analyze data, identify trends, and drive decision-making. Problem-Solving and Prioritization: Ability to multitask, prioritize under pressure, and take ownership in challenging situations. Adaptable and Resilient: Willingness to learn, adapt to change, and champion change management within the team. Ownership and Accountability: Proven track record of owning initiatives and being a strong team player. Process Improvement Mindset: Natural inclination to identify inefficiencies and drive improvements with senior leadership. Additional Information If you are a results-oriented leader passionate about fighting financial crime and building high-performing teams, we want to hear from you! To apply, submit your CV and cover letter in English. Your cover letter must include a specific example of leading an operational team through a challenge and the tangible impact. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Where You'll Be We are seeking someone to join our team in Austin, Texas . This hybrid role requires office presence. We do not offer a relocation package and cannot sponsor visas. You must already be authorized to work in the USA. J-18808-Ljbffr