Finance Manager

Job description / Role

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. Were 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.

Were co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,300 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.

About the role

As Finance Manager, UAE, youll take full ownership of finance for our UAE entity and act as Airwallexs primary finance contact with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE). Youll make sure our UAE financial reporting, prudential, and regulatory obligations are met accurately and on time, and youll be the person the regulator turns to on all financial reporting matters.

Youll join the EMEA Finance team and work closely with Compliance, Treasury, Tax, FP&A, and local management. This is a role for someone who wants to build: our UAE operating model and reporting cadence are still maturing, so youll shape how finance runs in the market from the ground up.

What youll do

• Act as the designated finance contact with the CBUAE for all financial and prudential reporting, including regulatory returns, ad hoc information requests, and supervisory meetings.
• Own the preparation, review, and submission of CBUAE regulatory returns, working with Compliance on interpretation and the regulatory calendar.
• Monitor and report on regulatory capital, liquidity, and safeguarding of client funds, flagging risks early and recommending action.
• Own the monthly close and financial control procedures for the UAE entity, including journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, and P&L reviews before submission to FP&A.
• Prepare financial performance, capital, and cash commentary for local board packs and management reporting.
• Lead the annual statutory audit under IFRS and liaise with external auditors and advisors to resolve issues.
• Oversee UAE Corporate Tax and VAT compliance with our Tax team and external advisors.
• Support new product launches in the UAE by making sure theyre reflected correctly in our reporting structure and regulatory submissions.
• Drive process improvement and automation across UAE finance, and collaborate with the wider Controllership team on department-wide projects.
• Responsibilities of the role may develop over time.

What you bring

• 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, ideally within financial services, payments, or another regulated environment. Big Four experience is advantageous.
• 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 hyper-growth environment.

Regulatory requirements

Because this role is a regulated position, the successful candidate must meet the CBUAEs Fit and Proper criteria, and any offer will be subject to regulatory approval. Youll need to:

• Hold a clean regulatory and criminal record, with no past disciplinary action, dismissal for cause, or adverse findings by any financial regulator.
• Have no history of fraud, dishonesty, or material misrepresentation.
• Be financially sound: not an undischarged bankrupt, not subject to any insolvency proceedings, and with no outstanding unsatisfied judgments.
• Be resident in the UAE and able to dedicate sufficient time to the role, with a meaningful on-the-ground presence.
• Disclose any other directorships or roles you hold, so the CBUAE can confirm you have the bandwidth for this position.

The CBUAE will conduct background checks and may request references from previous regulators.

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 (such as passport), or any form of payment during the application or interview process. All official communication will come from an official company email address. Please apply only through official company channels.

Airwallex does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or recruiters. Airwallex will not pay any fees to search firms or recruiters if a candidate is submitted without an agreement in place regarding specific open positions. Search firms or recruiters submitting resumes 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 do not regard color, religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, citizenship, sex, marital or family status, disability, gender, or any other legally protected status when making our hiring decisions. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.