Licensing and Audit Manager

What You'll Be Doing

• Own the end-to-end license lifecycle for Lightspark Payments’ money transmission business: prepare, file, and track new state license applications and change-of-control, key-individual, and other amendment filings in NMLS, and manage renewals and ongoing license maintenance across all states.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for state regulators and, where applicable, federal regulators during licensing cycles, responding to deficiency requests, supplemental information requests, and follow-up inquiries in a timely and complete manner.
• Maintain a licensing calendar and inventory of license conditions, surety bonds, net worth and permissible investment requirements, registered agents, and renewal deadlines; partner with Finance and Legal to gather the supporting information and documentation.
• Prepare, review, and submit regulatory reports, including the NMLS MSB Call Report and other periodic state and federal filings, ensuring accuracy, consistency with source data, and on-time submission.
• Manage regulatory examinations from notification through close-out: coordinate request lists, organize and review document production, prepare management and subject matter experts for interviews, and serve as the day-to-day contact for examiners.
• Manage the audit program, including bank and partner audits, the annual independent Title 31 BSA/AML audit, and the Compliance Management System (CMS) audit, coordinating with independent auditors and internal stakeholders on scope, timing, evidence, and findings.
• Lead audit and examination remediation: log findings and gaps, assign owners, define corrective action plans with realistic timelines, track progress to completion, validate that fixes are effective, and report status to the CCO and leadership.
• Establish and run a quality assurance and monitoring approach for licensing and audit activities, including a central repository of examination responses, audit evidence, and regulatory correspondence that supports consistent and efficient responses over time.
• Monitor changes in state and federal money transmission laws and regulations (including licensing, surety, reporting, and examination requirements), assess the impact to Lightspark Payments, and work with the CCO and Legal to update policies, procedures, and processes accordingly.
• Continuously improve licensing and audit processes: identify manual steps and recurring pain points, and design templates, trackers, workflows, and automation that make the function more scalable and audit-ready as Lightspark Payments grows into new states, products, and partners.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Legal to ensure new products, markets, and business changes are evaluated for licensing impact and regulatory notification requirements before launch.
• Support the CCO and the Compliance Program Manager with the Controls Inventory, risk assessments, policies and procedures, and other compliance program documentation as it relates to licensing and audit findings.
• Provide direction and work prioritization for the Compliance Analyst supporting licensing and examination activities, and support the CCO as needed.

What We Are Looking for

• 5+ years of hands-on experience working in NMLS, actively applying for and maintaining state money transmission licenses for a licensed money transmitter or similarly regulated fintech.
• Demonstrated experience interacting directly with state and federal regulators (for example, state banking departments, FinCEN, and the IRS) during both the licensing cycle and examinations, including responding to findings and deficiency requests.
• Experience preparing and filing the NMLS MSB Call Report and other periodic regulatory reports.
• Working knowledge of state money transmission laws and the Bank Secrecy Act as applicable to MSBs, and of consumer protection requirements such as Reg E, with familiarity with digital asset or cross-border payments a plus.
• Proven experience managing examinations and audits (regulatory, bank partner, and independent audits such as Title 31 or CMS) and leading remediation of findings through to closure.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organization, with the ability to manage many concurrent filings, deadlines, and requests without compromising accuracy.
• A process-improvement mindset: comfortable building or redesigning processes, trackers, and workflows, and using tools or automation to make licensing and audit work more efficient and repeatable.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the credibility to work with regulators, auditors, executives, and cross-functional teams.
• Sound judgment and the ability to escalate appropriately to the CCO, balancing regulatory requirements with business needs.
• Prior experience in a start-up or high-growth environment, or building programs from scratch, is preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; relevant certifications (such as CAMS or CRCM) are a plus.
• Intense professional curiosity and a growth mindset.

Additional information

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.

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.