FinCrime Operations Team Lead - Reporting

Job Description

Wise is looking for an experienced Team Lead to build and lead our Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) team in São Paulo, Brazil.

You'll lead a team of financial crime analysts responsible for investigating complex cases and submitting high-quality reports to COAF and global financial intelligence units. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll balance coaching your team, driving operational excellence, and ensuring regulatory compliance in a fast-moving fintech environment.

If you have deep experience in fincrime operations, love building strong teams and want to make a real impact in the fight against financial crime, this role is for you.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and Develop Your Team: Manage, coach, and develop a team of fincrime analysts, building a culture of accountability and quality. Own performance management through clear goal-setting, feedback, and development planning.

• Drive Quality & Compliance: Own and actively manage your team's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): service delivery goals, SLA adherence and regulatory compliance. Ensure all reports meet COAF requirements and act as escalation points for complex cases.

• Improve Operations: Design and optimize workflows, identify process gaps, and implement solutions. Work cross-functionally with Compliance, Product, and Data teams to enhance tools and streamline workflows.

• Manage Risk & Stakeholders: Identify operational risks and contribute to the design and implementation of effective controls and mitigation strategies. Represent your team to senior leadership and support regulatory change implementation.

Qualifications

• 3+ years leading operational teams in financial services, compliance, or fintech (team size of 5+ people)

• Strong AML/financial crime background: SAR/STR workflows, case investigation, or AML compliance operations experience

• Portuguese fluency (native or business-level) + strong English communication skills

• Data-driven mindset: comfortable using metrics to manage performance and drive decisions

• Hands-on leadership style: you coach, give direct feedback, and tackle problems alongside your team

• Performance management experience: addressing underperformance with clarity and fairness

• Confident communicator: can explain complex issues clearly to diverse audiences

• Balanced approach: you combine empathy with accountability: your team trusts you and performs well

• Calm under pressure: you prioritize effectively and take ownership of outcomes

• Improvement-minded: you spot inefficiencies and do something about them

Bonus points if you have:

• Knowledge of Brazilian AML regulations (COAF)

• Experience in fintech, challenger banks, or high-growth regulated environments

• Familiarity with case management tools, automation, or workflow optimization

Additional Information

How to Apply

• Submit your CV in English. A cover letter is optional but encouraged. If you include one, share a specific example of how you've led a team through an operational or compliance challenge.

Why Wise?

• Mission-driven work: Help protect millions of customers and the integrity of the global financial system

• Growth opportunity: Build and scale a critical function in Brazil for a global fintech leader

• Autonomy: We trust you to lead; you'll have real ownership over your team and processes

• Learning culture: Work with experts across compliance, legal, engineering, and data science globally

• Diverse, inclusive team: We're people without borders, and we build better products with diverse perspectives

Compensation & Benefits

•  Learn more about out benefits here

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.

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