Senior Compliance Manager & MLRO Job at Airwallex (Auckland)

Senior Compliance Manager & MLRO

Airwallex

Location:
New Zealand , Auckland

Category:
Finance

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Not provided

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Job Description:

As Senior Compliance Manager & MLRO, you will be Airwallex’s key FCC lead for New Zealand, responsible for owning and uplifting our AML/CFT and broader Financial Crime Compliance framework in line with New Zealand regulation and Airwallex’s global standards. You will act as the primary liaison with New Zealand regulators (in particular the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA)) and other key external stakeholders, while leading day‑to‑day financial crime advisory, investigations and reporting activities. You’ll partner closely with Product, Commercial, Operations, Legal and global FCC teams to ensure our controls are robust, scalable and enable sustainable growth. This role is based in Auckland.

Job Responsibility:

Program leadership: Own and continuously develop the Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) framework for Airwallex’s New Zealand business, aligning it with the Airwallex global compliance framework and the requirements of the Anti‑Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 (AML/CFT Act) and related regulations
Regulatory liaison: Lead day-to-day management and execution of Airwallex’s AML/CFT regulatory interactions, examinations and ad‑hoc requests in New Zealand, including managing relationships with the DIA and any other relevant local authorities and industry bodies
STR/PTR oversight and BAU casework: Oversee and, where required, execute BAU financial crime activities, including enhanced due diligence (EDD) reviews, transaction monitoring escalations, name‑screening alert escalations, and the investigation and filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Prescribed Transaction Reports (PTRs) in accordance with New Zealand requirements
Stakeholder management: Represent Airwallex with critical external stakeholders, including regulators, banking and payment partners, and other counterparties, ensuring consistent, transparent and well‑governed engagement on FCC matters
Advisory to the business: Provide clear, pragmatic FCC and AML/CFT advice to Commercial, Product, Operations, Legal and other teams on customers, products, features and go‑to‑market initiatives, helping to balance growth and risk in line with our global and local risk appetite
Reporting and governance: Develop and maintain regular FCC reporting to senior management and relevant governance bodies (e.g. local leadership, audit/risk committees and the Board as appropriate), including key risk indicators, incident updates, remediation status and thematic insights
Audit, reviews and remediation: Coordinate responses to internal audits, independent reviews, regulatory inspections and self‑assessments related to AML/CFT and sanctions, ensuring issues are clearly owned, tracked and remediated within agreed timeframes
Internal controls and procedures: Lead the design, implementation and ongoing monitoring of internal FCC controls, including policies, standards, procedures and quality assurance over FCC Operations and Hub teams supporting New Zealand activity
Governance and oversight of operations: Provide robust oversight and challenge over the FCC Hub and Operations teams that support New Zealand (e.g. KYC, screening, transaction monitoring), ensuring procedures are fit‑for‑purpose for the New Zealand risk profile and regulatory obligations
Training and culture: Champion a strong compliance and conduct culture in New Zealand by driving targeted AML/CFT training, coaching and awareness initiatives for relevant teams, and by embedding FCC considerations into key business processes and decisions

Requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Finance, Business or a related field
8+ years of financial crime compliance experience in a financial institution or payment services / fintech environment
Demonstrated auditing or assurance background and prior experience interacting with regulators, ideally including the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) or another New Zealand AML/CFT supervisor
In‑depth familiarity with New Zealand laws and regulations, particularly the Anti‑Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 and associated regulations and guidance
Hands‑on experience with STR and PTR investigation and filing, and with managing transaction monitoring and name‑screening escalations end‑to‑end
Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to credibly engage and challenge senior internal stakeholders and external partners while role‑modelling Airwallex values and behaviours
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to draft clear regulatory submissions, board‑level materials and investigation narratives

Nice to have:

Previous experience acting as MLRO, Deputy MLRO or equivalent accountable individual under AML/CFT legislation
Experience working in the payments, fintech or e‑commerce sectors, ideally supporting cross‑border or digital products and platforms
Recognised professional certification in a compliance or financial crime discipline (e.g. CAMS, ICA, ACAMS, AICD governance training)
Experience operating in a global or regional FCC function, partnering across multiple jurisdictions and time zones

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
February 21, 2026

Employment Type:

Fulltime

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