FinCrime & Due Diligence Operations lead

About Lightyear
We're on a mission to make investing better for everyone in Europe. More specifically, we're making it light years better (sorry… we had to). We're combining multi-currency accounts with unlimited access to global markets so that everyone in Europe can invest without sneaky hidden fees or unnecessary barriers.

Over the last 4 years, we've grown from being just an idea to a regulated business in both the UK & the EU, launching in 25 countries and raising $58M along the way. And we've hired a team of 70+ people from some of the best fintechs and startups in Europe.

We've got a stellar group of investors behind us including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sir Richard Branson, Mosaic Ventures, NordicNinja, Taavet Hinrikus, Jaan Tallinn, Sten Tamkivi, Markus Villig, and Lars Trunin as well as a host of angel investors. In 2025, we've also hit the milestone of
$1bn
in customer assets.

Who You Are

Operationally focused
: You have experience leading operational teams and improving efficiency, quality, and overall performance ensuring your team's success.

Compliance SME
: You have deep expertise across the 'first line of defence' related operations functions and processes.

Analytical & data-driven
: You have strong SQL skills and can extract insights from data to drive improvements in compliance operations.

Project & product experience
: You are comfortable managing initiatives that require cross-functional collaboration and process enhancements.

Startup mentality
: You're a team player but can just as well work autonomously and lead projects when needed. We're a small team, so there's lots of space to grow.

Great communicator
: You can communicate with both technical & non-technical stakeholders within the business. We move at a fast pace, so short is sweet.

What You Will Do
Your mission will be to build a next generation operations function that's lean and scales to serve global customers. You'll do this by leveraging a combination of the best people and the best tooling and automation. To do this you'll take on a dual role as both an operational leader and a subject matter expert within compliance operations product.

As an early-stage company, we offer the opportunity to take a stake in key first-line of defense tools and mechanisms, including transaction monitoring alerts, customer risk models, and onboarding/ongoing KYC. Depending on your experience, you may also act as a product owner in these areas, driving improvements and ensuring they align with Lightyear's overall approach to risk. You'll play a critical role in the daily operations while also rolling up your sleeves to develop new processes and launch innovative products. This position reports to the Head of Customer Operations.

• Operational Leadership:
• Lead and mentor a team of Operations Specialists, ensuring they are engaged, productive, and continuously improving.
• Implement efficiency and quality KPIs to drive performance and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide coaching, and establish career development pathways for your team.
• Drive process improvements to enhance operational effectiveness, reducing manual work and increasing automation where possible.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with legal, product, and engineering teams to ensure compliance workflows are optimised and scalable.
• Own workforce management processes, ensuring appropriate staffing levels to meet operational needs while also overseeing incident handling and response protocols.
• Compliance Product:
• Be the go-to expert across the first line of defence processes and procedures around KYC, KYB, CDD, ODD, EDD, and Financial Crime.
• Ability to build and refine first line financial crime controls, including transaction monitoring, customer risk models, and market abuse prevention
• Support the development and execution of compliance policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Utilise SQL to analyse data, identify trends, and recommend operational improvements that move the needle on north star company KPIs
• Lead or contribute to projects that enhance compliance processes and efficiency, from AI and automation initiatives to new regulatory requirements implementation.
• Partner with internal teams to ensure our compliance function is scalable as we grow into new markets.

Ideal Skills & Experience
5+ years of experience in compliance operations(first or second line) within a regulated financial firm in the UK or EEA.

Proven experience
managing operational teams
and implementing KPIs to track efficiency and quality.

Strong analytical skills, with
proficiency in SQL
(a must-have for this role).

Deep understanding of
online financial crime threats
and the operational strategies required to prevent and respond to them

Broad knowledge across KYC, KYB, CDD, ODD and EDD

Knowledge about Stock Market Abuse Regulation is a bonus

Experience in project or product management, leading initiatives that improve compliance operations.

Ability to work cross-functionally with legal, product, and engineering teams to enhance compliance workflows.

Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, in English.

Benefits
A competitive startup package with stock options that vest monthly after a one-year cliff

Brand new office in Tallinn (Kalamaja)

Flexible working hours

A flexible approach to working remotely - 2 remote days per week allowed

Private health insurance

All the usual office facilities, including free tea, coffee & snacks

Dog-friendly office (20% distracting, but 100% cute: see here)

Cycling or running to work? We've got bike parking and showers

Quarterly international team events

Interview process outline

• Intro call with a recruiter
• Video call with the Head of Customer Operations
• Team interview on-site
• Meeting with one or both of founders