Country Manager, Germany

Company Description

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world's money.

Min fees. Max ease. Full speed.

Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money.

As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money.

For everyone, everywhere.

More about our mission and what we offer.

Job Description

Our ability to offer hyper-localised products and services determine the quality of our service to our German customers. And our relationships with regulators, governments and payment systems are crucial too. So, we're on the hunt for an executor with a brilliant mind and strong communication skills to help more customers save money with us.

We're looking for a Germany Country Manager. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a pioneering role to grow Wise in one of our key markets in Europe – Germany, allowing millions more potential customers to save money by using our services. You will have full responsibility for overseeing our local operations, defining our market expansion and winning strategies for product localisation and executing on it, and being the face of Wise in Germany.

Your mission:

• Define the opportunities and direction for our products in Germany. Collaborate across global and regional teams, and inspire others so that we deliver the best solution.

• Work closely with product teams (Product Managers and Product Engineers) to develop our vision and build better and hyper-localised products and experiences for our customers in Germany.

• Work with our global teams (Product, Finance, Treasury, etc.) to ensure our customers and products are at the centre of our mission.

• To deepen our presence and infrastructure in Germany.

• Identify the most appropriate way to grow Wise in Germany. If we need new licences and/or registrations to offer more products and services in Germany, you will work with the central banking and expansion team to manage the entire process: understand the regulations, prepare, coordinate and submit the application, and obtain the regulatory buy-in as well as support the fulfillment of any other local requirements.

• Identify opportunities to offer the best product in the market taking advantage of our existing and future authorisations.
• Manage and support the day to day requirements for our authorisation in Germany, both from a Product and Compliance perspective.

• Lead our German branch and operations into its next stage of growth.

• You will also be appointed as Germany Country Manager and be one of the Directors of our German branch.

• Manage the relationship with regulators and other important non-commercial relationships, such as with government departments. Represent Wise to the Bafin, and be accountable for good governance.
• Work with our team in our European headquarters and maintain oversight of Wise's German business operations. Help guide strategy, provide leadership and alignment amongst the various functions responsible for ensuring the good health of the entity. Providing de-facto leadership on the ground to local teams and functional leads to ensure smooth operations.
• Participate in all relevant committees and Board meetings.
• Represent Wise in Germany, working with Public Relations and Product Marketing teams to drive brand awareness and position Wise as a key industry player.

• Take ownership of maintaining and improving existing relationships with industry partners and other financial institutions. You will:

• Lead commercial and relationship discussions with partners to ensure we offer the most sustainable and competitive service in the market.

• Create new opportunities within existing relationships with relevant financial and non-financial institutions in Germany to ensure we continuously improve our product (i.e. increase speed, reduce costs, add more visibility to our transactions, etc.).

Qualifications

• Excellent at managing financial regulatory relationships, constantly creating opportunities to improve them.

• Strong understanding of managing local entity operations and ensuring relevant compliance.

• Able to get stuff done. Not afraid to get hands dirty to deliver what is needed - we're a fast growing company and you will need an entrepreneurial mindset to thrive.
• Deep understanding of how financial, payments and FX regulators work and the different decision makers that need to be taken into account to make things happen.
• Understand financial, payments and FX regulation in a changing regulatory environment and have an interest in AML/KYC and risk controls.
• Familiar with different financial licensing frameworks and requirements in Germany.
• You are business fluent in German and English.
• Happy to work independently and flexibly within a fast-moving environment.
• Passionate about transforming the financial industry for good.

Additional Information

For everyone, everywhere. We're people building money without borders — without judgement or prejudice, too. We believe teams are strongest when they are diverse, equitable and inclusive.

We're proud to have a truly international team, and we celebrate our differences.

Inclusive teams help us live our values and make sure every Wiser feels respected, empowered to contribute towards our mission and able to progress in their careers.

If you want to find out more about what it's like to work at Wise visit Wise.Jobs.

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