Director, Regulatory Compliance, Asia

Airwallex is the only unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by our proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 150,000 businesses worldwide – including Brex, Rippling, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN and many more – with integrated solutions to manage everything from business accounts, payments, spend management and treasury, to embedded finance at a global scale. Proudly founded in Melbourne, we have a team of over 1,700 people in 26 offices around the globe. Valued at US$6.2 billion and backed by investors including Visa, Airtree, Blackbird, Sequoia, DST Global, Greenoaks, Salesforce Ventures, Lone Pine and Square Peg, Airwallex is building the global payments and financial platform of the future. If you’re ready to do the most ambitious work of your career, join us. This role is based in Malaysia or Singapore, focusing on Asia, and reports to the global team head (based in Amsterdam). The LRC team safeguards Airwallex’s operations and provides risk‑led guidance to navigate the global financial landscape with integrity.

The Global Regulatory Compliance Team is part of the second line of defence (2LOD) within the Legal, Risk & Compliance (LRC) function. We provide advisory support, identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risks, and enable growth with an emphasis on collaboration, transparency and continuous improvement. This role is a newly created senior position focused on our Asian business, based in Malaysia or Singapore, reporting to the global team head (based in Amsterdam).

As Director, Regulatory Compliance, Asia you will deliver on the regulatory engagement strategy and maintain licensing responsibilities for our regulated financial services entities across Asia. You will coordinate with internal and external parties to ensure compliance through clear communication of regulatory requirements, cross‑functional collaboration to productize solutions and offerings, implementation and execution of processes, and interface with regulators. You will help continue to build our global regulatory compliance program based on the 2 lines of defence principle. You will analyse new and existing products and provide guidance to ensure that our 2LOD second line of defence controls are fit for purpose and comply with regulatory obligations and guide the first line business to enable the maturity of both customer‑facing and internal back‑office processes and product features.

• Leadership team member within the Global Regulatory Compliance Team for Airwallex
• Deliver the regulatory engagement strategy for the Airwallex entities in the region
• Support the Airwallex Group’s expansion by managing the regulatory compliance components of licence authorisation processes
• Act as a key stakeholder in relation to licence applications, business plan updates and information requests between Airwallex and our regulators
• Ensure that our regulatory compliance and integrity risk reporting obligations are maintained for all Airwallex Group entities in the region
• Support and/or manage on-site exams and inspections (in collaboration with our LRC colleagues)
• Advise the business with respect to regulatory change initiatives with a particular focus on how to effectively manage compliance risk attached to new laws and regulations in the jurisdictions we operate
• Develop policies, processes and provide advice in relation to regulatory risk obligations that exist within the 1st line business
• Manage regulatory compliance risk within the Airwallex Risk Management Framework and associated escalation process (including the Group Risk Committee)
• Advise the business in relation to conduct risk and ethics matters (where appropriate) relating to our financial services licences
• Deliver the Compliance Monitoring Program; conduct targeted and thematic reviews on a wide range of topics to ensure appropriate organisational maturity
• Deliver the Airwallex Group’s Compliance Training for employees and conduct ad-hoc training to specific business areas as required
• Conduct “Proactive Special Ops” projects to unlock business or operational issues to enable Airwallex to achieve its strategic goals more rapidly

• Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in law from a recognised university or analogous Compliance qualifications / experience
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in regulatory compliance in a regulated financial institution, FinTech, legal / consulting firm, or combination of the above
• Familiarity with financial regulatory laws, rules, regulations and industry best practices across the Asia region
• Significant experience in a variety of regulatory legal or compliance roles, with experience in managing teams across multiple geographies
• Experience in dealing with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Bank Negara Malaysia and other financial services regulators in Asia
• Data proficiency - ability to work with data and leverage it for strategic decision-making
• Outstanding time management, presentation, and relationship-building skills, coupled with the ability to understand the larger picture while operating in a focused manner
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop high-performing teams
• Ability to operate strategically and think creatively to solve complex regulatory compliance challenges
• Experience with developing and/or maintaining a compliance program within a financial institution, preferably in respect of payments activity
• Ability to work in a fast-paced start-up environment by multitasking effortlessly and managing competing priorities under demanding deadlines
• Deep understanding of financial products/services and related conduct risk, ethics, and controls

• Fintech, growth experience
• Exposure to licensing processes, regulatory expansion, and RegTech or technology-driven compliance solutions

• Seniority level: Director
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Legal

Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t regard color, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status when making our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary.