Scheme Compliance Function Lead

Overview

In this role, you will lead issuer-side scheme compliance and card disputes for Visa and Mastercard within Wise’s Spend & Card Issuance team. You will shape a 1–3 year compliance strategy, build scalable processes, and ensure our card programs meet scheme rules while supporting global growth.

You’ll manage a team of specialists, drive operational integrity, and partner with payment networks to reduce risk and protect customers. This is about delivering a resilient, compliant issuance platform that enables money to move borderlessly at scale.

You’ll work hands-on to implement controls, governance, and proactive monitoring in a fast-paced fintech environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a 1–3 year Spend Scheme Compliance strategy aligned to business objectives
• Act as the accountable leader for issuer-side scheme topics across Visa and Mastercard programmes (BIN management, thresholds, rule interpretations)
• Manage and develop a team of Compliance Product Specialists with coaching and clear role definitions
• Own Card Disputes Compliance end-to-end (fraud and non-fraud) to optimise recovery and govern risk
• Lead launch integrity for new issuance initiatives (BINs, chip profiles, market expansions) with go/no-go readiness
• Oversee scheme compliance across the issuer supply chain (processors, 3DS/auth, tokenisation, card personalization vendors)
• Establish early-warning monitoring programs for scheme KPIs (fraud, disputes, thresholds)
• Lead high-stakes negotiations and external relationship management with Visa and Mastercard
• Design and maintain a robust control framework, ensuring audit readiness and effective issue management
• Drive continuous improvement with scalable mechanisms (dashboards, templates, playbooks)
• Support cross-functional collaboration to enable risk-based decision making during growth

Key requirements

• Extensive experience in leading issuer-side scheme compliance and disputes operations (Visa and Mastercard) within fintech, banking, or payments
• Proven track record of operationalizing scheme rules and monitoring programs
• Ability to translate complex scheme rules into pragmatic product and operational requirements
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Deep knowledge of card issuance supply chain (processors, tokenisation, 3DS, dispute tooling)
• Strong leadership and coaching skills to develop specialists and drive cross-functional outcomes
• Get-it-done, collaborative mindset focused on scalable systems
• Experience managing risk, audits, and control frameworks
• collaboration
• communication
• negotiation
• issuer-side scheme compliance
• Visa and Mastercard program knowledge
• BIN management

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