Sr. Banking Partnerships Manager

Company Description

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

Job Description

We’re looking for an experienced Banking Partnerships Manager to join the North America Banking & Expansion team in Austin, TX. Wise sends more money into and out of USD than any other currency. Our bank and payment partner relationships and infrastructure determine the quality of our product and a large part of its economics. Our relationships with regulators, governments and domestic payment systems are also crucial. Additionally, we’re seeking an experienced executor with strong knowledge of payment systems and the regulatory landscape, an analytical mind and executive communication and project‑management skills to help deepen our presence in a critical region.

This role is part of the Global Banking team, focused on expanding and deepening our presence in local markets: the US and Canada. The team is led by a Head of Banking and Expansion, North America and has four additional team members covering the market (3 people in Austin, 2 in NYC).

Your Mission

• Advance our payment infrastructure in North America
  • Understand and help other teams understand in detail the existing and planned payments infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada and support our payments strategy to provide the best cross-border payments services to our customers in North America.
  • Have in‑depth knowledge about North America payment systems (e.g., rails and schemes) and support direct payments system integration efforts as well as integrations to payment systems via bank partners in the US and Canada.
  • Execute projects related to infrastructure growth, risk management, governance and regulatory/license expansion for us to have the best payment infrastructure in the U.S. and Canada, including expanding payment rails or regulatory licenses to process payments directly with central bank payment systems.
  • Align closely with Government Relations and Legal teams to review and apply deep understanding of current and proposed payments and financial services regulations to support Wise’s policy and regulatory goals.
• Lead key bank and payment partner relationships for the North America region
  • Own key bank and payment partner relationships, collaborating between the partner and internal, cross‑functional teams such as Product, Engineering, Platform, Compliance, Payment Operations and Legal.
  • Advocate for Wise’s products and compliance goals with banks and payment partners and act as the bank’s advocate within Wise to ensure we are meeting agreed compliance and payment processing requirements.
  • Drive and complete periodic and ongoing due diligence to make sure bank partners are aware and comfortable with our operations and controls and that the bank is the right partner for Wise.
  • Lead commercial negotiations and business reviews, pitch Wise’s new products, features and platform innovations.
  • Review and improve key metrics via business reviews to grow Wise’s volume and ensure Wise is receiving the best possible leverage from our partners.
• Working with the Product Leads, help define the opportunities and direction for our products in North America
  • Work closely with product teams (Product Managers and Product Engineers) to develop our vision and build better products and experiences for our customers from the payments infrastructure, regulatory and operational banking partnerships point of view.
  • Work with North America and global teams (Product, Operations, Compliance, Finance, Treasury, etc.) to ensure our North American customers and products are at the center of our mission.
  • Partner with North American and Global product teams to identify bank and other partnerships to support the strategy and launch for consumer and small business debit and credit cards, structuring partnerships to meet product needs.
• Independently execute high‑priority projects and workstreams to deepen North America presence
  • Leverage financial services and payments infrastructure knowledge to lead priority projects such as onboarding new bank and payment partners, integrating new payment methods and discovering new innovative financial products.
  • Provide strategic support to Wise’s efforts around operationalizing bank / trust licenses, managing OCC and Federal Reserve deliverables, and coordinating pre‑opening exam requirements with Wise Bank management.
  • Independently initiate and execute high‑priority projects to deepen Wise’s presence in North America, building conviction internally and driving delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Law, Accounting, Economics, Business Management or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience with payments companies, transaction/corporate/investment banking, fintech, financial consulting or a financial regulator.
• Generalist who can get things done efficiently and is comfortable diving into details, with an entrepreneurial and collaborative mindset.
• Detailed understanding of payment systems and FX regulation, experience with BSA/AML/KYC and risk‑management controls. Familiarity with US and Canada financial systems, banking infrastructure, payment rails and regulatory agencies.
• Ability to structure and independently lead external relationships (banks, regulators, vendors) and cross‑functional projects, with executive‑level communication, analytical and critical‑thinking skills.
• Excellent relationship‑management skills and strong negotiation ability.
• Passion for financial technology, payments and financial services and excitement to work in a fast‑paced, execution‑oriented, entrepreneurial environment.

Nice To Have

• Knowledge of credit card products and related financials, and familiarity with fintech banks and technology providers in the credit card industry.

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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