Sr. Director, Regulated Financial Risk Operations (Europe)

📋 Description

• • As the Sr. Director, Regulated Financial Risk Operations (Europe), you will step into a pivotal, newly created executive leadership role, taking direct responsibility for the strategic direction, operational excellence, and stringent financial operations regulatory compliance of WEX's regulated Electronic Money Institution (EMI) financial operations across Europe. This encompasses key entities such as Optal Financial Europe Limited (OFEL) and Optal Financial Limited (OFL), positioning you at the forefront of financial risk management within a dynamic European landscape.
• • Reporting directly to the SVP of Global Risk Operations, your mandate will be to ensure the robust design and effective operational execution of the safeguarding governance framework across all regulated European EMI entities, including those overseen by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
• • A critical aspect of your role will be to proactively mitigate key person risk. This involves establishing comprehensive succession planning, nurturing and developing the leadership team, and ensuring the implementation of process redundancy and cross-training initiatives across all vital financial operations functions, thereby building organizational resilience.
• • You will be instrumental in developing and maintaining senior-level relationships with regulatory bodies, specifically the CBI and FCA, on all finance-related matters. This will be achieved in close collaboration with the respective Finance Directors and the International Compliance Team, ensuring open communication and proactive engagement.
• • You will own and drive the execution of the overarching financial controls and risk framework for the regulated entities. This includes ensuring unwavering adherence to Client Money (CM) Safeguarding Rules and Capital Adequacy requirements, alongside establishing clear protocols for the appropriate escalation of all emerging financial risks to relevant stakeholders.
• • A key responsibility will be to oversee the diligent fulfillment of all Outsourced Service Provider (OSP) obligations pertaining to regulated finance activities. Furthermore, you will be accountable for providing formal attestations to the Boards of the regulated entities, confirming the adequacy and robustness of safeguarding arrangements and internal controls.
• • Your strategic leadership will extend to directing and unifying the strategy for core financial operations. This encompasses critical areas such as Client Money Safeguarding, scheme settlement, balance sheet reconciliation, treasury operations, and payment operations for all European regulated entities, ensuring seamless and compliant execution.
• • You will directly manage, mentor, and inspire a team of senior leaders, including the Director, Financial Operations International (UK), the Finance Director, OFEL (Ireland), and the Finance Operations Manager. Your leadership will foster a high-performance culture, emphasizing accountability, continuous learning, and professional growth.
• • You will own the governance and performance management of all Outsourced Service Provider (OSP) relationships where the Financial Operations team provides or receives services. This involves ensuring strict adherence to contractual terms, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and implementing effective risk mitigation strategies.
• • Championing operational excellence, you will identify and lead significant initiatives focused on process improvement, simplification, and the strategic leveraging of automation and AI tools. The goal is to drive enhanced efficiency and scale operations effectively to support the enterprise's ambitious growth trajectory.
• • You will oversee and meticulously review the preparation of statutory and monthly/annual financial accounts for all regulated entities. This includes ensuring the timely and accurate preparation and presentation of comprehensive and insightful board reports, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) for both the regulated entity Boards and WEX Group senior leadership.
• • Your role will involve overseeing the regular assessment and reporting of the company's capital adequacy and conducting stress testing. You will also be responsible for integrating capital planning into strategic forecasts, ensuring alignment with CBI/FCA regulatory requirements.
• • You will serve as the senior executive liaison for all internal and external audits, ensuring the timely delivery of required documentation and the effective resolution of any identified financial or control-related findings.
• • You will own and oversee the firm's Internal Capital and Liquidity Adequacy assessment processes, ensuring accuracy and reliability in regulatory reporting on capital positions and forecasts.
• • A crucial part of your remit is to provide oversight for maintaining the credibility and operability of the Wind-Down Plan (WDP), including developing and testing triggers to ensure the plan facilitates the timely and orderly return of customer funds.
• • You will develop and maintain a comprehensive stress testing framework, including reverse stress testing, to rigorously assess the firm's resilience under adverse conditions and to inform capital and liquidity assessments.