Banking & Expansion Manager - Assets, North America

Wise is looking for a Banking & Expansion Manager - Assets to lead the role out of our Assets product in the US market. This role is based in either Austin or New York.

Wise was launched in 2011 with the vision of making international money transfers fast, cheap, fair, and simple. Today we’re about much more than just moving money. We’re building the world’s best international account experience. 

In 2021, Wise launched Assets in the UK, a new type of account. Assets allows customers to back the money they hold with Wise through different asset classes such as stocks or bonds while retaining the instant access and spend functionality of a checking account.

Wise sends more money into and out of the US than any other country. Our bank,  payment partner, and regulatory relationships determine the quality and breadth of our product. So, we’re on the hunt for an executor with an analytical mind and strong communication skills to join the Banking & Expansion team in North America. 

Your Mission:

We’re looking for a Banking & Expansion Manager - Assets to join our Austin or New York City office. You’ll be responsible for expanding the Assets product to the US and supporting the broader North America Banking & Expansion team, including building strong commercial relationships to enable the best product experience for our customers. 

You’ll work closely with the Assets Product team, an autonomous team within Wise consisting of Product Managers, Designers, Engineers, Product Compliance, and Operations. You’ll provide the team with local financial markets expertise, shaping the product vision and helping change the future of finance. This isn’t just a job, it’s a revolution! 🚀

1 - Expand the Assets product to North America

• Lead and manage the end-to-end process of applying for a broker-dealer license in the US and Canada
• Analyze the optimal route to market for the Assets product, taking into account how customer needs differ by market, product functionality and regulatory requirements
• Build a good relationship with US/Canada regulatory authorities to ensure a smooth licensing process and success once the license is granted 
• Ensure that the operating model agreed with regulators is efficient and aligns with our product and customers needs 
• Source and / or hire any personnel that may be required to obtain the license such as a local compliance officer or financial controller  
• Liaise closely with teams across Wise such as Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance and Compliance to ensure that we have the necessary resources and processes in place to successfully sustain operations 

2 - Build strong commercial relationships

• Identify new commercial relationships with investment managers, banks and payments partners to optimize the product experience for customers in terms of price, coverage and available asset classes 
• Onboard new partners and negotiate contracts, taking into account commercial priorities as well as risks 
• Manage our existing commercial relationships to ensure that they are delivering the best outcomes for our customers in terms of price and coverage  

3 - Identify new strategic opportunities

• Shape the product vision and roadmap alongside the Product Manager, thinking about our customer needs, blockers and opportunities  
• Work closely with the Product Manager and the wider team to prioritize opportunities taking into consideration the product roadmap, resource and product build requirements 
• Identify and size new product ideas to to test, build, and launch 

You may be a good fit if:

• You’ve led the end-to-end process for expanding financial services products to new markets, including scoping route to market and applying for new licenses from local regulators
• You are familiar with the US financial services industry and understand different financial products and how they work, as well as their risks and target markets 
• You have negotiated commercial relationships with a clear product vision and understanding in mind. You are able to figure out the ideal operational and commercial process with new partners
• You are familiar with how US fund managers and financial institutions work. You are strong at managing those relationships and are constantly creating opportunities to improve them
• You have a good understanding of US investment services regulation in a changing environment
• You have worked in a fast moving environment, are happy to work independently, flexibly, and take initiative. You have demonstrated this experience by growing an early stage product into something larger
• You’re hands on and a strong individual contributor.  You are able to operate at many levels of detail, flipping between executing as an individual contributor and building support from cross-functional stakeholders for new ideas and initiatives. We work in autonomous teams, so you’ll need an entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset to thrive
• You have fresh ideas - You don’t accept the status quo, but are interested in solving problems in novel ways. You are able to communicate the impact of those ideas, gather stakeholder buy-in, and formulate plans to implement them
• You are passionate about our mission and transforming the financial industry for good
• You have flexibility for some international travel (around 10-20% of time)

Requirements:

• 4-7 years work experience in asset/investment management, investment/corporate banking, capital markets, or other similar role within financial services or financial technology organizations
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields such as Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Management, Mathematics/Statistics, Computer Science etc. 
• Series 7 - General Securities Representative qualification
• Series 24 – General Securities Principal qualification 
• Detailed knowledge of US and/or Canada financial systems including banking and investments infrastructure, payment rails, regulatory agencies, and regulations
• Ability to structure and independently lead commercial relationships (e.g., clients, service providers or other partners) and cross-functional projects, including demonstrated ability to align closely with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Compliance teams with a solid track record of execution 
• Excellent verbal and written communications including executive-level presentation, negotiation, and communication skills 
• Proficiency in financial and business analysis including demonstrated Excel / Sheets skills
• Must already be legally authorized to work in the US, we cannot provide Visa sponsorship for this role

Benefits:

• 💰  $115,000-$150,000 annual starting salary, based on experience
• 🚀  RSU’s in a rapidly growing company 
• 💻  Hybrid working – up to 3 days/week working from home, the other 2 days in the office
• ✈️  Wisers can work remotely for 90 days a year. By ‘remote’ we don’t just mean from home, but from anywhere in the world you want
• 💪  An annual self-development budget
• 🩺  Medical, dental, & vision insurance – including HSA and FSA options
• 💝  Company-paid: Life Insurance, Short & Long-Term Disability, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• ☀️  25 days PTO, 15 sick days, 11 holidays, 5 compassionate leave days, 3 paid “Me” days and a paid volunteer day, annually
• 🏝️  A paid 6-week Sabbatical leave after four years
• 👶🏼  18-weeks of paid parental leave, after a year with us
• 💰  401k with up to a 4% employer match

We’re people without borders — without judgment or prejudice, too. We want to work with the best people, no matter their background. So if you’re passionate about learning new things and keen to join our mission, you’ll fit right in.

And because we believe that diverse teams build better products, we’d especially love to hear from you if you’re from an under-represented demographic.

#LI-Hybrid