Senior Compliance Manager & MLRO, Japan

About the role

You will own the end-to-end compliance and anti-money laundering strategy for Airwallex in Japan, translating global frameworks into a locally robust and operationally efficient program. You will serve as the primary interface with Japanese regulators and external partners, ensuring all interactions reflect Airwallex's risk appetite and regulatory obligations. In this role, you will design, implement, and monitor screening and monitoring rules specific to the Japanese market while embedding a culture of integrity and control. You will lead the FCC team, setting clear targets and driving performance in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You will leverage AI tools to streamline compliance processes and enhance decision-making accuracy. You will report directly to the Regional Director of Financial Crime Compliance for Asia and MLRO, aligning your priorities with the broader regional and global compliance agenda.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Establish and evolve the FCC compliance framework for Airwallex in Japan, building upon the global compliance foundation and adapting it to local regulatory expectations.
• Set and manage departmental and individual objectives for the FCC Team, aligning individual outcomes with strategic compliance priorities.
• Oversee daily AML regulatory interactions, examinations, and ad-hoc requests, ensuring timely, accurate, and comprehensive responses.
• Act as the critical external representative for Airwallex, engaging with regulators and financial partners to maintain constructive relationships and address compliance expectations.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a tactical, strategic, and current anti-money laundering program tailored to the Japanese operating environment.
• Administer day-to-day BAU tasks, including enhanced due diligence approvals, name screening alert escalations, and the filing of Suspicious Matter Reports where necessary.
• Advise Commercial and Operations teams on complex compliance matters, ensuring that business initiatives are executed within approved risk parameters.
• Collaborate with the Financial Partnership team to manage inquiries from external parties, including banking and scheme partners, to ensure regulatory alignment.
• Create and oversee a regular monitoring and reporting cadence that delivers insights to senior management, the audit committee, and the board as required.
• Design and deliver reports that assess the success and performance of AML Compliance initiatives, operational efficiency, critical metrics, and Key Risk Indicators.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to resolve issues highlighted in internal audits, self-assessments, compliance reviews, or regulatory examinations.
• Drive the design and monitoring of internal controls to support Compliance Operational policy and procedures, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across processes.

Requirements

• A minimum of 8 years financial crimes compliance experience in a financial institution.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask effortlessly and handle challenging priorities under strict deadlines without compromising quality.
• Credible stakeholder engagement and management skills that align with Airwallex organizational values and behaviors.
• Written and verbal fluency in both Japanese and English is essential for effective communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of Japanese financial regulations and compliance expectations, with a track record of applying this knowledge in a professional environment.
• Experience managing regulatory examinations and ad-hoc information requests with precision and discretion.
• Proven capability to develop and maintain compliance frameworks, policies, and procedures that are clear, actionable, and scalable.
• The discipline to work autonomously while coordinating closely with global and regional compliance teams to ensure alignment.

Nice to have

• Understanding of financial technology innovations and the implications for compliance in a fast-growth payments environment.
• Exposure to payment platforms, embedded finance, or transaction banking models and the associated compliance risks.
• Familiarity with AI tools and their application in enhancing compliance monitoring, reporting, and risk assessment.
• Experience leading and developing junior compliance professionals through mentoring and structured feedback.
• Knowledge of regulatory technology solutions and their role in streamlining compliance workflows.

Practical notes

• Full-time based in Tokyo, Japan.
• This role requires availability for travel within Japan and to regional meetings as needed.
• Visa sponsorship may be considered for eligible candidates.
• Candidates must be able to meet the deadline for submission of all required documentation for employment eligibility verification.