Financial Partnerships Operations Manager, Americas

About the role

Airwallex, the AI-native financial operating system used by more than 675,000 businesses, is hiring a Financial Partnerships Operations Manager based in New York. Reporting to the Director, Partnerships Strategy & Operations, the role supports the day-to-day operations of the Financial Partnerships team and its growth, working with banking partners, payment service providers and internal teams to improve processes, manage partner requirements and support new market expansion.

Key responsibilities

• Support the operational relationship with financial partners throughout their lifecycle, from onboarding and due diligence through integration, launch, steady state and expansion.
• Track rules, regulations, scheme requirements and upcoming changes affecting banks, payment service providers, card schemes and alternative payment methods.
• Develop continuous process improvements, including new processes, streamlined workflows, technology use and best practices.
• Own the triage of partner escalations and operational requests, routing them to the right teams and resolving them against agreed KPIs.
• Coordinate regular due diligence sessions with Financial Crime Compliance and other control functions.
• Partner with financial institutions on change management so Product, Engineering and Operations execute new releases and regulatory changes correctly.
• Generate and present reports to senior management and partners on partner health, progress, risks and areas for improvement.
• Contribute to scalable mechanisms such as partner scorecards, governance forums, QBRs, intake processes, playbooks and performance dashboards.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• At least 4 years of experience in financial services, fintech, payments, banking operations, strategy, business operations, partnerships, consulting or a related field; experience in a fast-growing tech company or top-tier financial institution is preferred.
• Strong project-management experience with a track record of improving processes, policies, products or workflows.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, dependencies and escalations, and to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Preferred: direct experience with banking partners, payment processors, card schemes and regulated institutions, and familiarity with KYC/KYB, due diligence and technical integration.

Required skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior stakeholders and external partners.
• Analytical skills with tools such as Excel, Google Sheets, Looker or similar reporting platforms.
• Critical thinking that balances growth, customer experience, operational effectiveness and risk.