Japan Assets Lead​/CEO Assets Japan

Company Description

Wise is a global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world’s money.
Min fees. Max ease. Full speed. Whether people and businesses are sending money to another country, spending abroad, or making and receiving international payments, Wise is on a mission to make their lives easier and save them money.

As part of our team, you will be helping us create an entirely new network for the world's money.
For everyone, everywhere. More about our mission and what we offer
.

We're looking for a Japan Investment Lead to accelerate our expansion plans in Japan. This is a unique and exciting pioneering opportunity to grow Wise in the region, allowing millions more potential customers to save money by using our services.

This is not your typical business development or relationship role. You are responsible for registering us as a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business and leading the overall expansion in Japan together with the country manager.

What will you be doing?

• Licensing & Regulation: You will manage the Type 1 Financial Instruments license registration end-to-end: from preparing necessary documents and internal policies to setting up the sufficient internal structure/governance. You will act as the primary liaison with regulators (KLFB/FSA).
• Product Strategy: Work with the global Assets product team for product launches, potential product changes, and new features in the market that would have the biggest impact for our customers. You will have full responsibility for overseeing the expansion of our Assets product.
• Partnerships: Manage relationships with regulators, trust banks, and asset managers. You will lead commercial negotiations to drive down costs and monitor our economics to ensure our service is competitive.
• Compliance: Together with the compliance team, understand existing and new regulations (FIEA), figuring out the best way in which our product and setup are compliant with them. We see regulation as an opportunity, and we want you to help us achieve that vision!

A bit about you:

• Required Licensing: You hold a valid Securities Representative License (証券外務員資格).
• Experience: You have 10+ years of experience in financial services, preferably in securities or asset management. You have a proven track record of managing Type 1 Financial Instruments Business Operators or similar regulated entities in Japan.
• Regulatory Expertise: You have a deep understanding of Japanese financial regulations (FIEA) and a track record of leading license applications or regulatory projects with the KLFB/FSA.
• Product Launch: You have experience building and launching new financial products or services.
• Language: You are a Japanese native speaker with business-level fluency in English.
• Project Management: You possess strong project management and cross‑functional coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple work streams simultaneously.
• Stakeholder Management: You have excellent skills in managing both internal stakeholders and external relationships (especially with trust banks and asset managers).
• Culture Fit: You are comfortable with ambiguity in a fast‑paced environment. You take a proactive, hands‑on approach and are willing to operate at both strategic and execution levels ("get your hands dirty").

Bonus points for:

• Holding a Compliance Officer qualification (内部管理責任者資格) (Strongly Preferred).
• Experience at a fintech or high‑growth technology company.
• Familiarity with retail investment products (mutual funds, ETFs) and fractional shares.
• Understanding of trust bank custody arrangements.
• MBA or relevant advanced degree.

Your mission:

• Manage end-to-end licensing process: You will need to execute the process end-to-end: understand the regulations, do the application, and get the regulatory buy-in. This will be your initial focus.
• Product evolution: Identify the most appropriate way to launch current and future Wise products in Japan, then roll up your sleeves and make it happen.
• Financial services partnerships: Build and maintain relationships with financial institutions (banks, fund managers, and trading partners) and lead commercial negotiations.

This…