Finance Manager - Risk and Controls

Job Description

At Wise, our mission is Money Without Borders: instant, convenient, transparent and eventually free. As we grow and scale, we're looking for an experienced Finance Manager to join our Finance Risk and Controls team in London. You will help strengthen our internal control environment and deliver against US SOX requirements. You will also lead the controls work on some of our most important finance transformation projects.

You will work closely with Finance, Product, Procurement, Operations and Technology teams. You will embed a strong control culture that supports Wise's growth and doesn't add unnecessary bureaucracy.

Your Mission

• Create and advise on end-to-end process and control documentation: Build process maps and risk-control matrices where they don't exist. Advise process owners on keeping them accurate and current in line with SOX standards.

• Lead and support the implementation of new and improved processes and controls across Finance: Advise on identifying risks and designing and embedding controls across end-to-end processes. This includes fraud, payment, procurement, revenue and period-end accounting risks, and the IT dependencies.

• Own the accountability framework to support Financial Statement attestation: Set clear ownership, escalation routes and governance for controls across Group Finance for the business processes you cover.

• Be the point of contact for control testing: Coordinate with control owners, Internal Audit and External Audit. Help build and run a testing programme that independently assesses controls, identifies gaps and validates remediation.

• Support SOX readiness and remediation: Guide teams on US SOX and relevant local regulatory requirements. Drive the remediation of Material Weaknesses and the first-time implementation of controls.

• Manage the Finance Risk and Controls Self Assessment: Make sure it is completed accurately, on time and with clear follow-up on actions.

• Report to senior leadership: Report to the Finance Leadership Team and prepare material for the Operational Risk Committee. Present control performance, deficiencies, remediation progress and residual risk clearly and concisely.

• Partner with stakeholders across the business: Work with Finance, Risk, Internal Audit and non-Finance teams to set standards and policies. Develop KRIs to monitor risk on a continuous basis.

What you'll get from the role

• Real impact: You will shape how Wise implements SOX controls and remediates Material Weaknesses, and see the results.

• Visibility: You will regularly work with and present to senior leaders, including the Finance LT.

• Autonomy and ownership: You will have a high level of responsibility and the freedom to decide how best to deliver.

• Breadth of learning: You will gain in-depth knowledge of Wise's business by working with teams across Finance and the wider company.

• Room to grow: You will build your leadership skills by driving remediation with stakeholders across the business, in a fast-growing, global FinTech.

About you

Qualifications and experience

• You have a professional accounting qualification, such as US CPA, ACA, ACCA or an international equivalent.

• You have 8–10 years of experience in a similar role, in industry or at a Big 4 firm.

• You have a deep understanding of SOX controls and regulations, including financial statement assertions, key controls, and design and operating effectiveness.

• You have thorough process knowledge across areas such as Procurement, Revenue and HR.

• You have experience testing internal controls and evaluating deficiencies.

Skills and approach

• You communicate excellently, including with executive leadership. You explain technical issues in plain language and lead with the conclusions that matter.

• You work well with minimal direction in a fast-moving, less structured environment.

• You are pragmatic and commercially minded. You apply proportionate controls that balance risk against business practicality.

• You influence without relying on formal authority, and you stay calm when handling disagreement or resistance.

• You take ownership and see remediation through to completion.

• You work well in international, cross-functional teams. No Drama, Good Karma!

Nice to have

• A CIA, CISA or CFE qualification

• Experience in FinTech

• Experience implementing controls for the first time to support an IPO

• Experience with ERP or system implementations and IT general controls (segregation of duties, access, change management)

About the team and location

You will join a team of professionals based in London and Tallinn, supported by external consultants. Our wider Finance team is spread across the globe, so expect regular video calls. You may also travel once or twice a year for Finance-wide initiatives.

Qualifications

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.

Keep up to date with life at Wise by following us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Compensation: 68000 to 90000 (GBP) (YEARLY)