---
title: 'Institutional Due Diligence Specialist, EU at Lightspark'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/institutional-due-diligence-specialist-eu-lightspark-estonia-db8fyh87d659'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Institutional Due Diligence Specialist, EU at Lightspark

- **Company:** Lightspark
- **Location:** Estonia
- **Compensation:** €41k–€48k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/lightspark/352cdac4-5d11-4bae-8ce4-8e27ad722d54

## Job description

Lightspark is creating the Money Grid, modern, open financial infrastructure that makes payments accessible, affordable, and instant for businesses and users worldwide. We're challenging the status quo, updating the current system, and empowering our partners to build better solutions. Together, we're building the most advanced financial infrastructure, open, instant, and global, inspiring a future where anyone, anywhere can access the full potential of digital money. We are looking for an Institutional Due Diligence Specialist to join our EU Compliance team. Working in the institutional due diligence team, you’ll own due diligence for the legal entities, partners, and respondent institutions we work with — deciding who we onboard, keeping their risk profiles current, and spotting unusual activity early. You’ll play a critical role in keeping Lightspark safe and compliant as we grow, and you’ll help shape the processes we use to do it.

## WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

- Owning the end-to-end due diligence process for institutional customers, including KYB legal entities, partners, and respondent institutions, from onboarding through periodic reviews
- Reviewing onboarding applications and making risk-based decisions to approve or reject customers
- Running periodic and event-driven reassessments, including ongoing KYB data updates
- Conducting Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) on higher-risk relationships
- Monitoring customer behavior and transaction activity to identify unusual or suspicious patterns, and gathering additional information or documentation where needed
- Performing sanctions, PEP, and adverse media screening
- Escalating compliance issues, risks, and findings to the Compliance Manager in a timely, structured way
- Helping build, improve, and implement our internal compliance procedures and best practices as we scale

## WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

- 5+ years of experience in AML/CTF compliance, risk management, or due diligence, ideally in financial services, fintech, or payments
- Deep knowledge of KYB, CDD, EDD processes for legal entities and institutional clients
- Hands-on experience with transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, and PEP/adverse media checks
- Familiarity with SumSub, ComplyAdvantage, or similar AML screening tools
- Strong analytical and investigative skills, with sound, well-documented judgment
- High attention to detail and a solid understanding of EU and Estonian AML/CTF regulatory frameworks
- Clear communicator with a strong commitment to ethical standards
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment without compromising accuracy
- Full working proficiency in English and Estonian — this role reviews Estonian-language corporate and regulatory documentation and communicates with Estonian authorities and counterparties
- Bachelor’s degree in Law, Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. We appreciate that some of the best talent comes from non-traditional backgrounds
- Experience in a multinational, high-growth company is a plus
- On-site 5 days, Full time, permanent.

## COMPENSATION

The gross monthly base salary range for this role is €3,400 – €3,990. The final offer will depend on experience and skills, and is determined using objective, gender-neutral criteria. You will also be eligible for an annual performance bonus and equity.

Lightspark is on a mission to build the future of open, instant, and global financial infrastructure making payments accessible and affordable for everyone, everywhere. 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.

For US Applicants: 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. For EU Applicants: In accordance with applicable EU and local regulations, including the Estonian Employment Contracts Act, Equal Treatment Act, and Gender Equality Act, Lightspark ensures equal treatment throughout the hiring process.

## About Lightspark

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Lightspark builds open, instant financial infrastructure by bridging the Lightning Network with legacy banking systems to enable real-time, low-cost global payments.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Los Angeles, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: David Marcus, Tomer Barel, Christian Catalini (Catalini departed in Feb 2026)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Financial Services / Payments Infrastructure
- Target customers: B2B — digital banks, global marketplaces, creator platforms, fintechs, and enterprises needing cross-border payment solutions
- Mission: Transform payments by creating the most accessible, reliable, enterprise-grade payment solution — making money move as seamlessly as information on the internet.

## Products & Services
- **Grid API**: One API/SDK to send, receive, and settle value globally across fiat, stablecoins, or bitcoin — always real-time, always low cost.
- **Grid Global Accounts**: A branded global dollar account that allows businesses to offer their own branded accounts and turn every payout into revenue.
- **Spark**: A Bitcoin Layer 2 solution enabling instant, near-zero cost movement of bitcoin and stablecoins on a neutral network.
- **Connect**: Tools and APIs for businesses to integrate with the Lightspark platform effortlessly.
- **Lightning Platform**: Reliable, scalable, and optimized Lightning Network node infrastructure and transaction processing.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $1.3M (Seed round, Aug 2024); previously raised a Series A (May 2022) led by Paradigm and a16z crypto with 9 investors.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Paradigm, a16z crypto; acquired Striga to expand European presence. Connects 100M+ customers at Coinbase to Lightning.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew +2.4% YoY to 79 employees; presence in Estonia, Israel, and Italy; 10 active job postings; acquired Striga for European expansion.

## Competitive Advantages
- Built on the only decentralized and neutral network (Bitcoin/Lightning), eliminating middlemen and gatekeepers.
- Enterprise-grade, compliance-ready infrastructure that bridges legacy banking with digital money.
- Backed by top-tier crypto/tech investors (Paradigm, a16z) and leadership with deep payments expertise (CEO David Marcus previously led Messenger at Meta and co-founded Novi).
- First-mover advantage in making Lightning Network accessible to mainstream businesses at scale.

## Strategic Focus
- Expanding global reach through acquisitions (Striga in Europe) and partnerships (Coinbase).
- Building agentic payments, embedded finance, stablecoin solutions, and cross-border payout infrastructure.
- Scaling the engineering team to tackle complex challenges in cryptography, distributed systems, and real-time payments.
- Growing Grid Global Accounts as a platform for businesses to offer branded financial services.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as scrappy, customer-obsessed, and mission-driven — "dream big, innovate boldly, move fast." Team of bold thinkers and relentless builders.
- **Engineering Focus**: Engineers work on cryptography, communication protocols, distributed systems, and web/mobile UX. Tech stack includes modern tools optimized for scalability and security.
- **Benefits**: Competitive salary, stock options, annual bonuses, 20 days PTO + holidays, medical/dental/vision, 401(k) matching, FSA/DCA accounts, generous family leave, One Medical membership, flexible work schedule.
- **Remote/Hybrid**: Flexible work schedule; HQ in Los Angeles with distributed team across US, Estonia, Israel, and Italy.
- **Interviewing**: Transparent interview process with clear stages; emphasis on pragmatism and curiosity.

## Sources
1. [Lightspark.com](https://www.lightspark.com/)
2. [Lightspark Careers](https://www.lightspark.com/careers)
3. [Lightspark About](https://www.lightspark.com/about)
4. [Lightspark Engineering Careers](https://www.lightspark.com/careers/engineering)
5. [LinkedIn - Lightspark](https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspark-group)

## Other roles at Lightspark

- [Risk Manager, EU](https://feeny.ai/job/risk-manager-eu-lightspark-estonia-6m51mjtvbbw0) — Estonia
- [Licensing and Audit Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/licensing-and-audit-manager-lightspark-los-angeles-bs5sr7tm0tmf) — Los Angeles, CA
- [AML Manager, EU](https://feeny.ai/job/aml-manager-eu-lightspark-estonia-h808fyz782rs) — Estonia
- [Regulatory Compliance Officer, EU](https://feeny.ai/job/regulatory-compliance-officer-eu-lightspark-estonia-entc33qpmbw0) — Estonia
- [Compliance Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/compliance-program-manager-lightspark-los-angeles-pztaem2v4wfe) — Los Angeles, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Data & AI](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-data-ai-lightspark-los-angeles-02tyta735r45) — Los Angeles, CA