Airwallex · 1 month ago
Head of Government Relations
US - Washington DC
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$340K/yr - $370K/yr
10+ years expAirwallex is a unified payments and financial platform for global businesses, seeking a Head of Government Relations to serve as the senior federal and state policy lead. This role involves strategic policy design, advocacy, and operational leadership, managing relationships with lawmakers and regulators to advance the company's objectives.
FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechPayments
Responsibilities
Design and execute a comprehensive U.S. government relations strategy that advances business objectives, reduces regulatory friction, and aligns with Airwallex’s product and market roadmap
Lead direct engagement with Congress, relevant federal agencies (e.g., DOJ, FinCEN, OFAC, SEC, CFPB), state banking departments, and state legislatures to influence outcomes and protect the business
Select, direct, and coordinate outside lobbying firms, issue‑specific consultants, and coalitions to maximize influence and ensure consistent execution and compliance across engagements
Represent Airwallex in industry associations and multi‑stakeholder coalitions; build pragmatic alliances with peers, trade bodies, and civil society when strategic
Monitor legislation and rulemakings; synthesize technical and political signals for senior leadership and recommend tactical responses (e.g., comments, meetings, coalition activity)
Work closely with Legal, Compliance, Product, Government Affairs colleagues across markets, Communications, and the Executive team to craft policy positions, public narratives, and stakeholder materials. Proactively identify potential issues, mitigants, and solutions
Ensure all federal and state lobbying disclosures, political activity reporting, and other compliance obligations are met and that external partners follow Airwallex’s compliance protocols. The right individual ensures we proactively identify risks and contribute to reasonable outcomes and solutions that drive the business forward
Secure and prepare senior leaders for Hill meetings, agency engagements, and public speaking opportunities that raise Airwallex’s profile
The role does not have direct reports initially, but with progressive success, wins, and demonstrated impact, there may be an opportunity to build and manage a high‑performing team as the function scales, including defining budget, KPIs, and relationships with external firms
Qualification
Required
10+ years in government relations, public policy, or related roles in the public/ private sector with relevant government/regulatory agency experience
Demonstrated experience working with federal policy and state rulemaking is essential
Deep, demonstrable relationships across the federal policy community, Hill staff, relevant agency decision‑makers, and senior officials, and experience in building bipartisan credibility
Strong familiarity with financial services and fintech regulatory frameworks (payments, money‑transmission, AML/CTF, sanctions enforcement, consumer finance, data privacy, and digital assets)
Prior work touching FinCEN, OFAC, SEC, CFPB, or state banking regulators is highly desirable
Proven track record managing and directing outside lobbying firms, consultants, and coalitions to advance outcomes
Exceptional writing and oral advocacy skills; experience briefing C‑suite and board members and translating technical issues into business impact
Ability to demonstrate thought leadership and partnership across the business while operating independently with strong judgment in a fast‑moving environment
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (J.D., MPP/MPA, MBA or equivalent) strongly preferred
Preferred
Prior experience in fintech, payments, data, AI, and/or digital assets policy work
Prior Hill or federal agency experience (staffer, policy adviser, regulator) or time at a major corporate government affairs function in the tech sector
Track record of building multi‑stakeholder coalitions and running successful regulatory comment campaigns or legislative engagement strategies
Experience working with trade associations or running state‑level campaigns
Company
Airwallex
Airwallex is a global payments and financial platform that provides business accounts, payment solutions, and spend management tools.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Airwallex has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (16)
2024 (6)
2022 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1.53BKey Investors
AdditionSquare Peg CapitalLone Pine Capital
2025-12-08Series G· $330M
2025-05-21Series F· $150M
2025-05-21Secondary Market· $150M
Leadership Team
Jack Zhang
Co-Founder & CEO
Jacob Dai
Co-Founder & CTO
Recent News
Sydney Morning Herald - Business
2026-01-23
Crowdfund Insider
2026-01-23
Company data provided by crunchbase