Global Lead, Commercial Risk Strategy

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the first-line commercial risk function, defining the global strategy and supportability frameworks.
• Define and manage pre-deal risk strategies, providing guidance for complex merchant use cases to unlock revenue.
• Translate second-line risk appetite and policies into actionable commercial playbooks for front-office teams.
• Design and execute continuous portfolio monitoring frameworks to track GP-to-risk ratios, fraud rates, and revenue concentration.
• Lead incident management and post-mortems to drive root-cause analysis and first-line remediation.
• Partner with Revenue Operations to identify and redesign misaligned sales practices or incentive structures.
• Act as the strategic interface between Go-To-Market teams, the CRO, and second/third-line compliance functions.

Requirements

• 10–12 years of risk management experience within financial services, specifically in first-line or business-aligned roles.
• Deep expertise in at least two areas: credit and portfolio risk, payments or merchant risk, operational/conduct risk, or enterprise risk.
• Proven track record of implementing risk frameworks within a Three Lines of Defense (3LoD) model.
• Strong analytical data literacy with the ability to define KPIs and interrogate complex dashboards.
• Exceptional communication skills to navigate "risk vs. revenue" discussions with senior stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-growth, product-led fintech environments (e.g., payments, issuing, FX, or modern banking).
• Familiarity with global regulatory frameworks including KYC/AML, sanctions, and card network rules.
• Experience designing portfolio early-warning indicators, concentration limits, and stress testing.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary ($200K – $300K range).
• Equity offerings and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan and well-being benefits.
• 20 days of paid vacation and 12 paid company holidays.

About the Company

Airwallex is a unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 200,000 businesses worldwide—including Brex, Rippling, and Qantas—to manage business accounts, payments, spend management, and treasury at a global scale. Valued at US$8 billion, we are building the future of global banking.