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 Distribution Platform team is developing innovative solutions and strategies that drive efficient and scalable marketing outreach, empowering us to effectively engage with our users while having a direct impact on Upstart's mission and growth. The team is responsible for some of our highest value distribution channels including digital ads, direct mail, and partner integrations. Our goal is to build an intelligent, unified system that learns, automates, and scales how Upstart engages with our customers on these channels.
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Distribution Platform team, you will play a key role in designing and building the systems that intelligently connect our marketing efforts to the right users at the right time. You’ll drive development of scalable, resilient platform capabilities that power Upstart’s owned marketing channels including digital ads, direct mail, and partner integrations. Collaborating closely with cross-functional partners in Analytics, Marketing, Machine Learning, and Product, you’ll help shape the technical strategy and execution that enables more personalized, data-driven outreach and directly advances Upstart’s growth and mission.
How you’ll make an impact:
- Lead the design and development of scalable systems that deliver marketing content across key outbound channels.
- Partner with machine learning, analytics, and marketing stakeholders to optimize targeting and improve customer engagement.
- Own projects from ideation to launch guiding architecture, implementation, and operational readiness.
- Drive platform reliability and evolve internal tools that enable experimentation, automation, and performance insights.
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to growing a culture of technical excellence and cross-functional collaboration.
What we’re looking for:
- Minimum requirements:
- 7+ years of professional software development experience
- Strong proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Ruby, Java, Kotlin, Python, or Javascript
- Experience building scalable APIs and microservices in a cloud-based environment (e.g., AWS, GCP).
- Proven ability to lead projects involving multiple engineers or stakeholders overextended timelines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work in a distributed team.
- Preferred qualifications:
- Experience building systems that integrate with 3rd parties or manage large scale data flows
- Experience with SQL, data warehouses, or other database technologies
- Professional experience with digital advertising platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads
- Professional experience working with Ruby on Rails and/or Kotlin
- Experience or interest in working with React, typescript, or front end technologies
- Experience working with marketing technology or growth engineering
Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote, San Mateo, Columbus, Austin
Time Zone Requirements - This team operates across all U.S. time zones.
Travel Requirements - This team has regular on-site collaboration sessions. These occur 3 days per quarter at an Upstart office. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.
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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