About Upstart
At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.
As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1,800 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.
We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.
If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.
The Team
We’re looking for a Principal Application Security Engineer to join our growing Information Security team. Your primary function will be to work with Upstart’s engineering and product management teams to ensure that our product platform is secure, safe and reliable.
You’ll have the latitude to touch every aspect of our security strategies, with the opportunity to specialize as the team grows. As one of the key resources on the Security team, you will have significant influence over the design of Upstart's Security program.
Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: San Mateo, Columbus, Austin, Remote (#LI-REMOTE)
Time Zone Requirements - This team operates on the East/West Coast time zones.
Travel Requirements - This team has regular on-site collaboration sessions. These occur 5 days per Quarter at one of our office locations or some other off-site location determined by your team/manager. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.
How you’ll make an impact:
- Work closely with our engineering and data science teams to securely design and implement new products and features, including the development and maintenance of threat models for high-risk functionality.
- Set up a regular vulnerability scanning tools and manage remediation of identified issues
- Support teams with vulnerability remediation efforts, including the design of remediation strategies.
- Assess the threat model for cloud native infrastructures and applications
- Identify and design company-wide security controls and solutions.
- Operate as an integral member of the engineering team and advocate for security best practices across the organization
- Help identify Upstart’s internal and external attack surface in a dynamic environment
What we’re looking for:
Minimum requirements:
- 3+ years of experience in an application security or security engineering-focused role
- An IT/CS degree or equivalent knowledge
- Experience in Java, Python or Ruby development
- Knowledge of industry standard authentication and authorization protocols (TLS, SAML, etc)
- Previous usage or knowledge of SAST/DAST and vulnerability scanners
- Understanding of Full Stack Development, SDLC, and CI/CD pipelines
- Understanding of network stack and common protocols
- A self-starter who is comfortable getting hands-on and engaging in all areas of product security, from ideation to deployment.
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally and communicate effectively with highly technical teams
Preferred qualifications:
- 7+ years of experience in a high-security environment
- MS degree or equivalent knowledge
- Certification in IT or cybersecurity (e.g. OSCP, OSCE, OSWE)
- Experience conducting product/application level security audits, penetration tests, and security focused code reviews
- AWS, K8s and CI/CD pipeline experience
- Contributions to the security industry (e.g. whitepaper, security advisories, OSS projects, patents)
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
What you'll love
At Upstart, our benefits are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
- Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees
- Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage, with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans
- Income protection benefits, including company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, and Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage, with options to purchase supplemental coverage
- Paid time off, sick and safe time, and company holidays
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
- Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
- Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service
- Annual wellness allowance to support your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, based on what matters most to you
- Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources you need to do your best work, no matter where you work from
- Connection and community through team events and onsites, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our four offices, located in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).
Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email [email protected]
https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy
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