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Xero is seeking a General Manager to build and lead its financial services risk and compliance operations function. This is a senior leadership role responsible for establishing the operational infrastructure that enables Xero to scale regulated financial services safely while maintaining customer trust.
The role encompasses building a high-performing team across sanctions screening, KYB/KYC verification, AML/CTF operational execution, transaction monitoring, and payment operations. You will lead the function through its build-operate-transfer phase, initially within Advocacy, Risk & Compliance, and eventually into its permanent line 1 home within the organization.
Key responsibilities include:
- Establishing core operational capabilities across sanctions screening, KYB/KYC verification, AML/CTF execution, and payment workflows
- Optimizing tooling across Sardine, Salesforce workflows, payment operations platforms, and third-party payment portals
- Creating operational governance routines, service standards, and escalation pathways such as the Financial Crime and Fraud Working Group
- Managing relationships and quality oversight for outsourced operational partners to ensure alignment with internal control expectations
- Setting direction, building the team, defining operating standards, and creating cross-functional partnerships with Product, Payments, CX, Security, Financial Services Legal, and Enterprise Risk & Compliance
You will bring substantial operational leadership experience in financial crime, AML/CTF, payment operations, or regulated financial services. You have proven capability in building or scaling first-line risk functions, establishing operational controls, and guiding teams through organizational growth. Deep practical understanding of sanctions, KYB/KYC, transaction monitoring, and financial services licensing frameworks is essential. You are skilled in managing external partner relationships, service quality standards, and operational SLAs. You are comfortable using operational data, trend analysis, and workflow tools to strengthen controls and improve efficiency, and you can utilize AI tools responsibly to aid operational decision-making and streamline workflows.
This role is critical to ensuring Xero can take direct ownership of customer and regulatory obligations as it expands its payments and financial services products. The position offers a flexible hybrid working model with regular boost days for strategic alignment and team connection.
