Country Manager - Germany at Wise

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

Wise Logo
Not SpecifiedCompensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Fintech, Financial ServicesIndustries

Requirements

  • Brilliant mind and strong communication skills
  • Ability to execute on market expansion and winning strategies for product localisation
  • Experience collaborating across global and regional teams
  • Capability to work closely with product teams (Product Managers and Product Engineers) to develop vision and build hyper-localised products
  • Knowledge to work with global teams (Product, Finance, Treasury, etc.) to center customers and products in the mission
  • Expertise in identifying growth opportunities, managing licences/registrations, understanding regulations, preparing/submitting applications, and obtaining regulatory buy-in
  • Skills to manage day-to-day authorisation requirements from Product and Compliance perspectives
  • Ability to lead the German branch and operations, including being appointed as Germany Country Manager and one of the Directors
  • Experience managing relationships with regulators (e.g., BaFin), government departments, and ensuring good governance
  • Oversight and leadership skills for German business operations, strategy guidance, and alignment across functions
  • Participation in committees and Board meetings
  • Ability to represent Wise in Germany, drive brand awareness with PR and Product Marketing, and position as key industry player
  • Ownership of maintaining/improving relationships with industry partners and financial institutions
  • Leadership in commercial and relationship discussions with partners

Responsibilities

  • Define opportunities and direction for products in Germany
  • Collaborate across global and regional teams to deliver the best solutions
  • Work with product teams to develop vision and build hyper-localised products/experiences for German customers
  • Work with global teams to ensure customers and products are central to the mission
  • Deepen presence and infrastructure in Germany
  • Identify ways to grow Wise in Germany, including managing new licences/registrations processes with central banking and expansion team
  • Identify opportunities to offer the best products using existing/future authorisations
  • Manage day-to-day requirements for authorisation in Germany (Product and Compliance)
  • Lead German branch and operations into next growth stage, including as Director
  • Manage relationships with regulators (e.g., represent to BaFin) and non-commercial stakeholders (e.g., government)
  • Maintain oversight of German business operations from European HQ, guide strategy, provide leadership/alignment
  • Provide de-facto leadership to local teams and functional leads for smooth operations
  • Participate in relevant committees and Board meetings
  • Represent Wise in Germany, work with PR and Product Marketing for brand awareness and industry positioning
  • Maintain and improve relationships with industry partners and financial institutions
  • Lead commercial/relationship discussions with partners for sustainable/competitive services
  • Create new opportunities within existing relationships with financial/non-financial institutions

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Product LocalizationMarket ExpansionRegulatory RelationshipsStakeholder ManagementStrategic PlanningCross-Functional CollaborationCommunication SkillsExecution

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

Is this role remote or on-site?

The position is on-site.

What are the key responsibilities of the Country Manager role?

Responsibilities include defining product opportunities in Germany, collaborating with global teams for hyper-localized products, managing regulatory relationships and licenses, and leading the German branch operations.

What skills or qualities are they looking for in the Country Manager?

They seek an executor with a brilliant mind and strong communication skills, experience in regulatory relationships, product localization, and market expansion strategies.

What is the employment type for this position?

This is a full-time role.

What makes a strong candidate for this Country Manager position?

A strong candidate has experience in regulatory processes, product management, market expansion, and building relationships with regulators and governments, with strong execution and communication skills.

Wise

Facilitates low-cost international money transfers

About Wise

Wise focuses on international money transfers, providing a low-cost alternative to traditional banks. It uses a peer-to-peer system to match transfers between users in different countries, which helps reduce fees and offers better exchange rates. Customers pay a small, transparent fee for each transaction, and Wise also offers a multi-currency account for managing funds in various currencies. The company aims to maintain high performance and reliability while ensuring transparency and trust with its users.

London, United KingdomHeadquarters
2011Year Founded
$385.5MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Fintech, Financial ServicesIndustries
5,001-10,000Employees

Benefits

PTO & annual leave
Work from home flexibility
Parental leave
Medical insurance plans
Health & wellbeing discounts
Pension & retirement plans
Social events
Relocation support

Risks

Increased competition from banks integrating Swift services could challenge Wise's market share.
Regulatory scrutiny following Stenn's collapse may increase pressure on Wise.
Bitcoin's low transaction fees could attract customers away from Wise's services.

Differentiation

Wise offers a peer-to-peer system for low-cost international money transfers.
The company provides a multi-currency account for ex-pats, freelancers, and travelers.
Wise's transparent fee structure attracts customers seeking cost-effective money transfer solutions.

Upsides

Partnership with Morgan Stanley enhances Wise's cross-border settlement capabilities.
Expansion into India's remittance market presents significant growth opportunities for Wise.
API integrations offer additional revenue streams and market penetration for Wise.

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