Manager, Operations Strategy (Data and AI Governance)

Airwallex is the only unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by our proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 250,000 businesses worldwide with fully integrated solutions to manage business accounts, payments, spend management, treasury, and embedded finance at a global scale. Founded in Melbourne, we have a team of over 2,300 innovators across 27 offices globally, backed by leading investors and valued at US$11 billion.

About the Role

The Operations Strategy team at Airwallex drives process optimization, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional program delivery across global operations. This role focuses on our Data and AI Governance Program, a critical cross-functional initiative. You will work at the intersection of program management and operations strategy, partnering with IT, Security, Engineering, Legal, and Data teams to design and operationalize data and AI governance frameworks that reduce risk while supporting business operations. This role is based in San Francisco, CA.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end program management for cross-functional data and AI governance initiatives: run sprints, track progress, and report to the steering committee via weekly updates and monthly calls.
• Map dependencies across domains and align stakeholders on data and AI governance strategy, priorities, and sequencing.
• Set the strategy for which data and AI governance frameworks get implemented, and assess whether they are proportionate to the risk they address.
• Define and track success metrics for the data and AI governance programs.
• Translate data and AI governance requirements into operational processes that reduce data access risk without blocking the business, including spearheading access management, review, and technical hardening processes.
• Run technical deep dives on access control implementation across existing systems like Okta, Databricks, and back office tools, and set the standard new systems must meet.
• Drive requirements and design documents through development, review, and approval by technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Create a living AI model and use case inventory to enable tracking of AI legal and governance risks.
• Partner with Legal to translate regulatory requirements into actionable policy and process.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience, preferably with a fast-growing tech startup, top-tier strategy/management consulting, or equivalent.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, especially with Engineering and Legal teams.
• Experience with data governance initiatives, including data tagging, classification, and ownership.
• Experience with access management: coordinating cross-functional delivery of access management initiatives and reviewing access to sensitive data to identify risks and drive remediations.
• Demonstrated ability to run programs end-to-end: sprint facilitation, dependency mapping, progress reporting, and driving cross-functional alignment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information for both technical and executive audiences.
• Self-starter who can identify and prioritize opportunities.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience interpreting and operationalizing requirements from regulators in a financial services or payments environment.
• Experience with AI governance best practices and frameworks.
• Experience operationalizing privacy and AI regulations into actionable requirements and associated certifications (e.g., CIPP/AIGP).
• Familiarity with identity and access management tools (e.g., Okta) and modern data platforms (e.g., Databricks).
• Technology, Financial Services, and/or experience in a high-growth environment.
• Comfort operating in environments with high standards, fast iteration cycles, and evolving priorities.
• Curiosity to learn quickly, adapt fast, and grow through stretch opportunities.

Pay

Compensation Range: $140K - $170K