Finance Programme Lead

Job description

Join our Finance team and help shape the future of Finance at Wise The Finance team is critical to supporting Wise’s mission and enabling the business to scale sustainably. As Wise continues to grow, Finance is evolving its processes, systems, data and ways of working to ensure we can operate efficiently, manage risk effectively and support Wise’s growth. We’re looking for a Finance Programme Lead to lead the delivery of our most important Finance programmes and projects and strengthen how we plan, prioritise and deliver complex change across the function.

You’ll lead a team of Programme and Project Managers and partner closely with Finance leadership and teams across Product, Engineering, Data and other functions. You’ll bring structure and clarity to our most important priorities, connect work happening across Finance, manage dependencies and ensure we deliver meaningful and sustainable outcomes. This is a leadership role for someone who can move comfortably between strategy and execution - seeing the bigger picture, while creating the conditions for teams to deliver successfully.

This role will give you the opportunity to: Lead high-impact Finance transformation programmes

• Partner with Finance leadership to turn our strategic priorities into a coherent portfolio of programmes and projects. You’ll ensure initiatives have clear outcomes, ownership and sequencing, and help us focus our people and resources on the things that matter most. Lead and develop a strong programme delivery team
• Lead a team of 2–3 Programme and Project Managers responsible for some of Finance’s most complex initiatives. You’ll set direction and expectations, coach and develop the team and create an environment of high ownership and strong delivery. Drive complex, cross-functional programmes
• Provide leadership and oversight across major initiatives spanning Finance processes, systems, data, controls and ways of working. You’ll help teams navigate ambiguity, resolve blockers and manage dependencies across Finance and the wider organisation. Create alignment across Finance
• Work across Finance teams (Accounting, Reporting, FP&A, Tax, Risk & Controls, Product, Analytics and Engineering) to connect initiatives, resolve competing priorities and ensure programmes move forward cohesively. You’ll build strong relationships with senior stakeholders and constructively challenge where priorities or delivery plans need to change. Drive sustainable change
• Ensure new processes, systems and ways of working are successfully embedded. You’ll make sure programme teams consider communication, adoption, training and business Help shape what Finance does next
• Develop a strong understanding of Finance’s strategic and operational challenges and work with leaders to identify opportunities to simplify, automate, scale and improve how Finance operates.

About You

You’re an experienced programme leader

• You have significant experience leading complex programmes and portfolios in large, fast-moving organisations. You know how to bring structure to ambiguity and turn strategic priorities into executable plans. You’re an experienced people leader
• You’ve led Programme Managers, Project Managers or similar delivery professionals. You know how to set direction and standards while giving experienced people autonomy and accountability. You can operate strategically and get into the detail when needed
• You’re equally comfortable discussing priorities and trade-offs with senior leadership and getting close enough to a programme to understand what’s going wrong and help unblock it. You understand Finance
• You have experience working with Finance functions and understand how Finance processes, systems, data, controls and reporting connect. You don't necessarily need to be an accountant, but you can quickly understand Finance problems and work effectively with subject-matter experts. You’re excellent at navigating complexity
• You can take an ambiguous problem, create structure around it, identify dependencies and trade-offs and establish a clear path forward. You’re a strong senior stakeholder manager
• You communicate clearly and confidently, create alignment across teams with different priorities and are comfortable constructively challenging senior leaders when needed. You focus on outcomes, not methodology
• You understand what good programme and project management looks like but don't apply process for process's sake. You adapt your approach to the problem and focus on achieving measurable outcomes. You understand how to make change stick
• You know that successful programmes aren't finished when something is launched. You think about adoption, communication, ownership and sustainable ways of working throughout delivery. You think globally and use data to make decisions
• You’re comfortable operating across teams, geographies and time zones, and use data to understand problems, make decisions and measure success.