Associate Director, Corporate Affairs

Airwallex is the only unified payments and financial platform for global businesses. Powered by our unique combination of proprietary infrastructure and software, we empower over 150,000 businesses worldwide – including Brex, Rippling, Navan, Qantas, SHEIN and many more – with fully integrated solutions to manage everything from business accounts, payments, spend management and treasury, to embedded finance at a global scale.

Proudly founded in Melbourne, we have a team of over 1,700 of the brightest and most innovative people in tech across more than 37 locations around the globe. Valued at US$5.6 billion and backed by world-leading investors including Sequoia, Lone Pine, Greenoaks, DST Global, Salesforce Ventures and Mastercard, Airwallex is leading the charge in building the global payments and financial platform of the future. If you’re ready to do the most ambitious work of your career, join us.

The Corporate Affairs team at Airwallex is dedicated to managing the company’s reputation and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders. We handle public relations and corporate communications to ensure transparent and effective engagement. By advocating for Airwallex’s interests and navigating complex regulatory environments, we support the company’s strategic goals and growth.

Reporting to the Head of Corporate Affairs, APAC, you will play an instrumental role in helping to build Airwallex’s presence in the ANZ region, as well as promote and protect Airwallex’s reputation globally at a time of rapid expansion. 

We seek a seasoned corporate communicator with public affairs, issues management, media relations, and marketing communications expertise to help Airwallex further build and protect its brand in ANZ through differentiated narratives and targeted stakeholder engagement. 

Your role requires extensive communication engagement, and relationship-building with external stakeholders, including media, conference organisers, industry leaders, investors, and customers as well as internal stakeholders across the company. This role will have significant C-suite exposure and requires executive presence, strategic sensibility, and business acumen. You will also be representing Airwallex as a spokesperson with credible knowledge of our business.

As a key member of our high-performing team, you will have an opportunity to join and strengthen our vision to shape Airwallex’s successful growth trajectory. 

This role is based in Sydney.

• Lead and implement a wide-ranging stakeholder communications and engagement strategy for Airwallex’s ANZ business, focusing particularly on media and industry influencers

• Devise and implement a holistic engagement program that includes providing access to senior media contacts to strengthen Airwallex’s reputation

• Help shape the external profile of our global leadership and what they should be known for in the region, and how it fits into the company’s global corporate affairs strategy

• Contribute to and work with the Corporate Affairs team to update Airwallex’s messaging playbook including on key policy issues

• Represent Airwallex as a key spokesperson and manage all press office duties for the ANZ region

• Proactively initiate campaigns including media placements and conference keynote opportunities to position Airwallex as a thought leader in tech and business. Partner closely with marketing and sales colleagues for media and conference opportunities

• Provide counsel as a trusted advisor, help assess reputational risk matters and handle sensitive and crisis communication

• Implement all external communication efforts in ANZ, including corporate, product, customer, and partnership announcements

• Supervise agency relationships, provide guidance and optimise output

• Coordinate with internal communications colleagues on local engagement needs in market

We’re looking for people who meet the minimum qualifications for this role. The preferred qualifications are excellent but not mandatory.

• At least 10 years of experience, with a blend of agency and in-house roles, including experience in highly-regulated industries and B2B technology

• Solid domain knowledge in public affairs and media relations, internal and external communications

• Direct experience and working relationship with ANZ journalists, producers, and editors

• Understanding of leading industry groups and other thought-leading organisations in our space

• Proven track record and ability to deliver tangible outcomes

• Exceptional written and verbal communication ability, strong executive presence

• Strong management skills and proven ability to influence and collaborate across functions

• Experience working across international markets with a culturally diverse team

• Proven consensus-building and interpersonal skills

• Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to problem solve, test and learn. The resilience to try and try again

• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment, highly-adaptable, able to reprioritise and change gears quickly

 Prior experience working in an enterprise tech company, fintech, or payments experience

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 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.

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.