Operational Risk Manager

About the role

We're looking for an Operational Risk Manager to own the day-to-day operational risk and issues management for Wise US Inc and Wise Canada. You'll be a data analyst, process coordinator, and AI-powered problem solver—gathering and synthesizing data to support quarterly Risk Committee and Board materials presented by senior risk leadership.

Responsibilities

• Issues Management
  • Support the monthly issues management process by coordinating with issue owners, obtaining timely status updates, maintaining data quality, and helping ensure issue records meet Wise documentation standards.
  • Help teams navigate AuditBoard / Optro workflows, including target date extensions, workflow routing, status updates, and issue closure requirements.
  • Compile and maintain the monthly Issues Forum materials, working with business functions to ensure updates are complete, timely, and decision-useful.
  • Identify opportunities to improve issue management routines so they are less administrative and more useful for risk visibility, accountability, and remediation.
• Risk Committee and Board Reporting
  • Support quarterly Operational Risk assessments for Wise US Inc. and Wise Payments Canada by gathering KRIs, issues, incidents, operational loss data, and stakeholder narratives.
  • Analyze operational loss, incident, and issue data to identify trends, root causes, emerging risks, and potential control weaknesses.
  • Help prepare clear, concise narratives for Risk Committee and Board materials, with appropriate review from first-line stakeholders and senior Risk leadership.
  • Care for maintenance of governance materials, ensuring reporting is timely, accurate, and useful for decision-making.
  • Gain exposure to board governance processes and learn how risk reporting flows to senior leadership and entity-level governance forums.
• New Product Risk Assessments
  • Review product documentation and complete operational risk assessment templates - identifying risk scenarios and documenting controls.
• Control Mapping
  • Support Wise’s control framework buildout by conducting interviews with process owners, documenting existing controls, and completing control mapping templates across material processes.
• KRI Implementation
  • Collect and compile Key Risk Indicator (KRI) data from teams and fold into ongoing risk monitoring and tracking materials.
• Ad-hoc risk projects
  • Support incident deep-dives, process improvement initiatives, etc.

Qualifications

• Strong Analytical & Data Skills
• Comfortable pulling data from multiple systems and dashboards
• Can synthesize disparate data sources into clear, actionable insights
• Experienced with manual data gathering and identifying opportunities to automate it
• Able to spot trends and ask the right follow-up questions
• Strong Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables)
• Operational/Financial Risk Experience 2-4+ years in operational risk, risk assessments, incident or issues management, or operational controls
• Familiarity with risk frameworks and how they connect to business outcomes
• Experience with risk assessments, incident management, or similar risk functions
• Experience preparing materials for senior leadership or governance committees preferred
• Facilitation & Communication
• Comfortable interviewing business owners and asking clarifying questions
• Can translate technical risk concepts into business language for varied audiences
• Able to chase down stakeholders and coordinate across teams
• Strong written communication for executive-level reporting
• Location Requirements
• Must be based in Austin, TX or willing to relocate to Austin
• Hybrid work arrangement with team collaboration expectations (Not 100% remote)
• Relocation assistance package available for qualified candidates
• Preferred AI & Data Proficiency
• Demonstrated use of AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) for analysis, documentation, and automation
• Comfortable learning and adapting to new GRC and risk tools
• Interest in exploring AI applications for operational efficiency and reporting automation
• Data-driven mindset with ability to translate complex data into clear insights
• Payments or Financial Products Experience
• Background in fintech (payments, lending, BNPL, crypto, trading platforms), or similar financial services environment
• Auditboard Experience
• Familiarity with Auditboard or other GRC platforms (ServiceNow, Archer, LogicGate) is a plus, but willingness to learn is more important
• Additional Preferred Experience
• Deep understanding of payment ecosystems, including ACH, card networks, cross-border remittances, and the mechanics of disputes and chargeback recoveries
• Proven background managing operational risk within a high-growth fintech, payment processor, or digital-first financial services environment
• Experience overseeing the end-to-end issues management lifecycle, from initial identification through to effective remediation tracking
• Hands-on experience with risk assessment methodologies, including RCSAs, RAUs, and comprehensive process-level control mapping
• Ability to develop meaningful Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) and translate complex data into executive-ready risk reporting
• Proficiency in AuditBoard, Optro, or comparable GRC platforms to drive centralized risk visibility
• Technical skill set utilizing SQL, Tableau, Power BI, or Superset to synthesize data into actionable visualizations
• Interest in leveraging AI-powered tools for advanced analysis, automated documentation, and operational efficiency

What Makes You Successful In This Role

• You're analytically sharp and love working with data
• You're interested in eliminating manual work through automation and AI
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and can figure things out on your own
• You can balance attention to detail (monthly updates, data accuracy) with big-picture thinking (board narratives)
• You're a credible stakeholder who can push back on business teams when needed
• You understand payments/fintech and can ask smart questions about operational risks