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 Auto Retail Lending team is on a mission to make it easy, fast, and seamless for car buyers to secure auto loans through our dealership partners. We build the core technologies that power Upstart’s Auto Finance platform, with a focus on driving demand for auto loans by enabling our dealership partners to create, present, and close loan offers with ease. We design intuitive, stable, and high-impact workflows that integrate directly into the dealership experience. Our north star is conversion rate, turning credit applications into funded loans, through a strong product mix, deliberate engineering practices, and a customer-first mindset.
As a Senior Engineering Manager at Upstart, on the team, you will work closely with cross-functional partners to execute projects across the whole stack. Work very closely with PM and Product designers to deliver the best user experience, both for our internal and external customers.You may currently specialize on the backend or frontend, but you're looking to get your hands into both areas of the stack. You're eager to learn and grow as an individual and a leader and enjoy helping your team do the same.
How you’ll make an impact
- Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing engineering team focused on providing high quality solutions.
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture that promotes innovation, continuous learning, and excellence.
- Technical Leadership
- Oversee the design, development, and implementation of cross functional projects which drive business outcomes.
- Ensure the reliability, performance, and scalability of customer facing products, leveraging best practices in software engineering.
- Collaborate with cross functional teams in Auto & Upstart to ensure alignment with broader engineering goals.
- Stakeholder Collaboration
- Partner with product manager, product designer, engineering leaders across Upstart, legal, operations, analytics, and compliance teams to gather requirements and ensure solutions meet business needs and regulatory standards.
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders to keep them informed of project status, risks, and opportunities.
- Project Management
- Manage project timelines and resources to deliver high-quality product solutions on time.
- Implement frameworks to ensure efficient project execution and continuous delivery.
Minimum Qualifications
- Education & Experience
- 8+ years of experience developing and maintaining large scale distributed systems in the cloud with a minimum of 2 years managing a team directly
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
- Experience working in dynamic fast paced organizations
- Technical Skills
- Experience with Javascript/typescript based applications
- Experience with delivering full stack solutions to customers
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS or Google Cloud) and microservices architecture
- Leadership Skills
- Excellent leadership and people management skills, with a track record of building and leading successful engineering teams
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to make data-driven decisions
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the quality and timely delivery of work
- Ability to thrive both in self-directed work environments and in collaborative settings, contributing positively to team dynamics
- Other Requirements
- Experience with agile development methodologies and project management tools like Jira
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously
- Commitment to continuous learning and staying updated with the latest industry trends
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience delivering FinTech products or products in another regulated industry
- Strong product and analytical mindset that allows you to think in terms of ROI, risk, and trade offs
- Experience working at companies that have gone through periods of rapid business or organizational growth
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.
#LI-REMOTE
#LI-MidSenior
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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