Finance Manager

ABOUT AIRWALLEX Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. More than 675,000 businesses, including McLaren Racing, Qantas, SHEIN, and TikTok, use us, directly or through our platform partners, to run their financial operations or build and monetize financial products of their own. We started in Melbourne in 2015 to build the infrastructure global commerce runs on. We're the regulated backbone behind global payments: not by accident, but by design. A decade plus, 85+ licenses, and a financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We're co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,700 people across 27 offices. We hire builders with founder-level energy, people who move fast with good judgment, dig in with real curiosity, and make calls from first principles rather than waiting to be told what to do. Read our operating principles https://www.airwallex.com/en-us/operating-principles to see it in full. HOW YOU'LL MAKE IMPACT As Finance Manager, UAE, you'll own finance for Airwallex's UAE entity and act as the primary finance contact with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). You'll help shape how finance runs in the market as the UAE operating model and reporting cadence continue to mature. - Own UAE financial reporting, prudential and regulatory obligations, including regulatory returns, ad hoc information requests and supervisory meetings. - Monitor and report on regulatory capital, liquidity and safeguarding of client funds, flagging risks early and recommending action. - Lead the monthly close, financial controls and annual statutory audit under IFRS, while partnering with external auditors, advisors and the wider Controllership team. - Prepare financial performance, capital and cash commentary for local board packs and management reporting. - Oversee UAE Corporate Tax and VAT compliance with the Tax team and external advisors. - Support new UAE product launches by ensuring they’re reflected correctly in reporting structures and regulatory submissions. - Drive process improvement and automation across UAE finance, while helping shape the UAE operating model and reporting cadence as the market grows. You'll be based in Abu Dhabi and work from the office three days a week. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Essentials - A professional finance or accounting qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CA, CFA or equivalent. - 8+ years of finance experience, including senior-level experience in a finance function. - Strong working knowledge of IFRS, regulatory capital requirements and prudential reporting obligations for payment service providers in the UAE. - Direct experience engaging with a financial regulator, ideally the CBUAE. - Experience in a financial controlling role, with a track record of building and expanding finance capabilities in a growing organisation. - Clear, confident communication with stakeholders at every level, including regulators, auditors and boards. - Comfort working independently and navigating ambiguity in a high-growth environment. - Ability to meet the CBUAE’s Fit and Proper criteria, including regulatory, criminal, financial soundness, residency and disclosure requirements. Any offer will be subject to regulatory approval. Preferred - Experience in financial services, payments or another regulated environment. - Big Four experience. - Experience preparing regulatory returns and working with regulatory capital, liquidity and safeguarding requirements in the UAE. YOU'LL THRIVE HERE IF - You have experience at a fintech, payments company, or other highly regulated business. - You've operated in a compliance-heavy environment and know how to move fast without cutting the corners that matter. - You're comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and moving quickly anyway. - You connect dots across functions and hold the big picture without losing grip on the details. - You know when to align and when to just decide. Collaboration isn't a way to avoid accountability. LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR TEAM Finance & Corporate Development helps Airwallex grow with control. We’re a trusted partner to the business, providing actionable insights on performance, supporting market and product expansion and helping to shape the future of our product. We ensure that Airwallex meets its financial reporting, tax and safeguarding obligations globally. We work with existing and prospective investors to raise capital and ensure it is deployed effectively. This is a team for people who want to reimagine how the CFO office works. We’re looking for founder-like energy, high integrity and a passion for technology. You’ll thrive here if you enjoy working cross-functionally, think from first principles and can balance speed of execution with analytical precision. APPLICANT SAFETY POLICY: FRAUD AND THIRD-PARTY RECRUITERS To protect you from recruitment scams, please be aware that Airwallex will not ask for bank details, sensitive ID numbers (i.e. passport), or any form of payment during the application or interview process. All official communication will come from an @airwallex.com http://airwallex.com email address. Please apply only through careers.airwallex.com http://careers.airwallex.com or our official LinkedIn page. Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms/recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms/recruiters if a candidate is submitted by a search firm/recruiter unless an agreement has been entered into with respect to specific open position(s). Search firms/recruiters submitting resumes to Airwallex on an unsolicited basis shall be deemed to accept this condition, regardless of any other provision to the contrary. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Airwallex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and anyone seeking employment at Airwallex is considered based on merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We don’t