From 2006 Wainwright held the post of head of the international department of the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA).

[4] He leads a staff of over 800 personnel who support law enforcement authorities in the 27 EU Member States to tackle international organised crime.

The agency handles over 18 000 cross–border cases per year in areas such as drugs, human trafficking, cybercrime, intellectual property crime, cigarette smuggling, Euro counterfeiting, money laundering and asset tracing, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and terrorism.

On 1 July 2011, Wainwright hosted HM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands as she officially opened Europol's new headquarters in The Hague.

In March 2012, the Council of Justice and Home Affairs extended Wainwright's term of office as Director of Europol until 2017.