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:
Upstart’s Data Curation team builds and operates the data platform that powers how teams across Upstart discover, trust, and use data. The team provides scalable infrastructure, metadata systems, and self-serve tooling that enable analysts, machine learning engineers, and product teams to work with Lakehouse data efficiently and confidently.
As a Senior Data Platform Engineer on the Data Platform team, you will design and build the systems that make data accessible, reliable, and usable at scale. Your work will directly improve how teams understand, query, and leverage data across Upstart, driving productivity and enabling better decision-making.
How you’ll make an impact
- Design and build scalable data platform infrastructure, including distributed systems that power data discovery, metadata management, and data access
- Develop and maintain tooling that enables teams to self-serve data transformations, testing, and deployment workflows within the Lakehouse
- Improve data reliability and observability by building systems for monitoring, alerting, and data quality validation
- Partner with machine learning engineers, analysts, and product teams to understand data needs and drive adoption of platform capabilities
- Contribute to platform evolution in areas such as metadata services, natural language data access, and AI-enabled data interactions
- Lead and influence technical design decisions, balancing short-term delivery with long-term platform scalability and maintainability
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) plus 4+ years of experience
- Experience building and operating distributed data systems or data platform infrastructure in a cloud environment (e.g., AWS)
- Proficiency in at least one programming language such as Python, Java, Scala, Javascript or Kotlin
- Experience working with data processing frameworks or infrastructure (e.g., Spark, Kafka, Airflow, or similar technologies)
- Experience designing, deploying, and maintaining production-grade data systems, including monitoring and reliability practices
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience building or supporting data platforms, developer tooling, or internal infrastructure products
- Knowledge of metadata management, data cataloging, or data governance systems
- Experience working with Lakehouse architectures, Databricks, or similar modern data platforms
- Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and translate data concepts into practical solutions
- Interest in applying AI/ML capabilities to improve data accessibility, discovery, or user experience
Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote
Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.
Travel requirements As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S or Canada (outside of Quebec) but are expected to spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites and in-person meetings. The onsite cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.
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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