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.

In just four years, we’ve gone from idea to fully regulated in both the UK and EU, launched across 25 countries, raised $58M, and built a 70+ strong team from Europe’s top fintechs and startups.

We’re backed by a stellar line-up of investors – including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sir Richard Branson, Mosaic Ventures, NordicNinja, and some of Europe’s top founders like Taavet Hinrikus (Wise), Jaan Tallinn (Skype), and Markus Villig (Bolt).

We’re now looking for a Financial Controller to provide oversight and governance across our accounting and reporting — ensuring we have high-quality financial information, strong controls, smooth audits, and scalable processes as we continue to grow across the UK and EU.

This role is focused on review, control, and audit leadership, rather than day-to-day execution which is handled by the operational accounting team. You’ll bring structure, rigour, and strong project management to ensure our finance function remains audit-ready and fit for scale.

What you will do

Provide oversight of the monthly close, ensuring the accuracy and consistency of key balances, judgements, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
Set and maintain the quality bar for accounting outputs, ensuring financial information is robust, consistent, and ready for internal and external scrutiny.
Own and evolve accounting policies and controls, including documentation, approval frameworks, and monitoring of key controls.
Lead the planning and project management of annual audits across UK & EU entities — coordinating timelines, stakeholders, and deliverables end-to-end.
Be the primary finance partner for external auditors and advisors, ensuring clear communication, high-quality responses, and a smooth audit process.
Oversee the preparation and review of statutory accounts and tax/VAT submissions, ensuring they are accurate, compliant, and delivered on time.
Assess and mitigate accounting-related operational and regulatory risks, strengthening governance as the business scales.
Drive continuous improvement across finance processes, tooling, and controls — identifying bottlenecks, implementing better workflows, and enabling automation where possible.
Partner cross-functionally (Product, Ops, Compliance, People, etc.) to ensure finance controls are embedded in the business and risks are addressed early.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in accounting/finance roles with increasing responsibility (e.g., Financial Controller, Finance Manager, Audit Manager).
Strong grounding in UK and/or EU accounting standards (IFRS/UK GAAP), with experience supporting statutory accounts and audit processes.
Demonstrated experience in review and oversight of month-end close processes and accounting deliverables.
Proven ability to lead and manage audits and external stakeholder processes with structure, clarity, and strong attention to detail.
Strong understanding of controls and governance — you naturally think in terms of risk, process, and how to build scalable foundations.
Excellent judgement when it comes to accounting policy, estimates, and materiality.
Proactive, organised, and comfortable in a fast-moving environment with evolving priorities.
Startup / high-growth experience is a plus, especially in fintech or regulated industries.
You have a solid command of written and spoken English, and can communicate clearly and succinctly with a range of stakeholders.
Excellent computer skills (spreadsheets, reporting tools, accounting systems).
Curious and proactive about using AI to improve finance operations — you experiment with tools that help automate reporting, controls documentation, and audit readiness.

Bonus Points

Experience working in a regulated financial services business (e.g., investment firm, broker, payments/e-money, fintech).
Knowledge of capital adequacy, regulatory reporting requirements, and/or safeguarding / client money frameworks and controls.
Experience supporting multi-entity structures across jurisdictions (UK + EU), including audit coordination across multiple parties.
Experience improving finance governance and control environments in fast-growing companies.

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

🏥 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