Risk and Compliance Lead

The Internet lacks a protocol for money. Lightspark is building the tools and services to make it happen. Lightspark builds enterprise-ready infrastructure for open payments for the Internet at scale using the Lightning Network. An always-on, low-cost, universal payment network will completely transform how money is moved, enabling businesses and developers to transform existing solutions and build new financial systems, services, and processes accessible to everyone, transcending geographical restraints. Lightspark is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, but serves the world.

Lightspark Payments is building regulated services on the Lightning Network. As a Risk and Compliance Lead, you will oversee and contribute to the design and implementation of our compliance program for the new and evolving product suite for this business. This role will initially focus on building out the customer onboarding programs for both businesses and consumers. You will report to our CCO, and  will work hand in hand with our Product and Engineering organizations to design our end-to-end flows and customer onboarding experience. You will also collaborate with Legal, Risk & Compliance specialists to understand and synthesize compliance and risk requirements into formal requirements documents.

Please note: While this role is remote, we are seeking candidates based on the West Coast to align with team collaboration and business needs, with regular travel to Los Angeles expected.

What you will be doing:

• Own and manage the business and consumer KYC/CDD program design and build out together with the Product Manager for Lightspark Payments

• Translate regulatory, compliance, and risk requirements into business requirements and technical specifications for cross functional stakeholders

• Collaborate and coordinate effectively with a variety of cross functional stakeholders including Product, Engineering, Legal, Design, and Business Development

• Draft comprehensive compliance requirements, documents, and internal communications that can be understood by both technical and business audiences

• Provide real-time subject matter expertise and guidance to product, engineering and design, as new products and services are being developed or enhanced to ensure ongoing compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements

• Understand and articulate how compliance requirements will intersect with the funds flow end-to-end and be comfortable collaborating and contributing in group working sessions to design product and user interfaces with compliance requirements in mind

• Identify potential risks (compliance, regulatory, financial, fraud, etc,) and surface these risks together with proposed solutions to our cross functional partners

What we’re looking for:

• 10+ years of total experience and at least 5 years in a compliance project/product management role

• Subject matter expertise in at least one of these areas is essential: domestic or cross border payments, blockchain or cryptocurrency, stablecoin payment infrastructure, and/or customer identification for a regulated entity

• Understand the functional and technical design of blockchain, bitcoin and (ideally) the Lightning Network

• Prior experience with payment systems, US and international payment rails, and compliance obligations around payments and customer onboarding

• Prior experience integrating KYC vendors and configuring identity verification for consumers

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex requirements into actionable product documentation

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams

• Prior experience working in a start-up environment, or building products/programs from scratch

• Intense professional curiosity and a growth mindset

Lightspark is on a mission to build an open payment protocol for the Internet at scale and therefore we’re committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace to reflect the customers we serve. We welcome interest from individuals of all backgrounds and levels of experience who share our mission. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the State of California Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.