Director, People Experience

OhioX; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 191,000 - 265,000; Full time

Job summary

Upstart seeks a Director of People Experience to lead strategy and execution for enterprise People programs, including performance cycles, engagement, and GenAI acceleration. You will collaborate with senior leaders, shape the employee experience, and build scalable processes across a distributed workforce.

The ideal candidate offers 10+ years in employee experience or related fields, with proven ability to drive large, cross-functional programs and translate insights into action.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience across employee experience, internal communications, enterprise program management, People/HR programs, organizational change, or a related field.
• Experience owning complex, enterprise-wide programs that affect a broad employee population and require alignment across senior, cross-functional stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication. You can present a well-supported point of view to senior leaders.
• Strong influence and relationship-building skills, including the confidence to challenge a partner or negotiate tradeoffs.
• Ability to use quantitative and qualitative data to identify patterns, test assumptions, and recommend action.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, design, and end-to-end delivery of Upstart’s mid-year and year-end performance cycles, creating a clear and effective experience for employees and managers.
• Lead Upstart’s employee listening strategy and Pulse program, partnering with People Analytics and HRBPs to move from survey data to organizational insight and action.
• Drive the employee program for GenAI acceleration, helping employees adopt new tools through change strategy, communications, learning, experimentation, and measurement.
• Build and govern a dynamic enterprise employee engagement calendar for the People Team and senior leaders.
• Partner with functional owners to improve timing, sequencing, messaging, and delivery of major company-wide employee asks.
• Strengthen employee resource groups by defining a clear operating model, standards, and self-service tools for volunteers.
• Identify employee-facing needs, develop a point of view, and build scalable practical approaches.
• Translate program insights into concise recommendations for People and business leaders, with strong judgement.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Communication

Influence & relationship building

Data-driven decision making

Change management

Job description

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 3,000 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 is looking for a Director of People Experience to bring strategy, coherence, and exceptional execution to some of our most consequential enterprise People programs. You will own and evolve our performance and compensation cycles, employee listening program, GenAI acceleration efforts, enterprise employee engagement rhythm, and employee resource group operating model. You will help us understand what these experiences reveal about our organization, recommend where we should act, and build the systems that turn good intentions into a scalable and distinctly Upstart experience.

This is an individual contributor Director role for someone who enjoys operating at both altitudes: developing a clear point of view with senior leaders and personally building the plan, process, communication, or tool needed to make it real.

You will join Upstart’s Communications, Culture & Development team, a group responsible for helping employees understand where the company is going, feel connected to its purpose, and build the capabilities to do their best work. The right person will add a new kind of leadership to that team: someone who sees the whole employee experience, finds the opportunity inside the signal, and knows how to turn an idea into something that works.

How you’ll make an impact

• Own the strategy, design, and end‑to‑end delivery of Upstart’s mid‑year and year‑end performance cycles, creating a clear and effective experience for employees and managers.
• Lead Upstart’s employee listening strategy and Pulse program, partnering with People Analytics and HRBPs to move from survey data to organizational insight, leader action, and meaningful follow‑through with employees.
• Drive the employee program for GenAI acceleration, helping Upstarters adopt new tools and ways of working through thoughtful change strategy, communications, learning, experimentation, and measurement.
• Build and govern a dynamic enterprise employee engagement calendar that gives the People Team and senior leaders a clear view of significant employee asks, upcoming communications, timing conflicts, and cumulative burden.
• Partner with functional owners across Upstart to improve the timing, sequencing, messaging, and delivery of major company‑wide employee asks while they retain ownership of the underlying program.
• Strengthen our employee resource groups by defining a clear purpose, sustainable operating model, shared standards, annual rhythm, and self‑service tools for volunteer leaders and executive sponsors.
• Identify employee‑facing needs that do not yet have a clear strategy or owner, develop a point of view, align stakeholders, and build practical approaches that can scale.
• Translate program insights into concise recommendations for People and business leaders, bringing strong judgment about employee needs, organizational tradeoffs, and effective implementation.
• Establish clear measures of success, use data and feedback to improve the portfolio, and build the documentation, governance, and operating practices that support future scale.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience across employee experience, internal communications, enterprise program management, People/HR programs, organizational change, or a related field.
• A track record of owning complex, enterprise‑wide programs that affect a broad employee population and require alignment across senior, cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Exceptional strategic and systems thinking. You can take an ambiguous problem, identify the root need, develop a clear recommendation, and translate it into a practical plan.
• Excellent written and verbal communication. You make complexity clear, adapt to the audience, and can present a well‑supported point of view to senior leaders.
• Strong influence and relationship‑building skills, including the confidence to challenge a partner, negotiate tradeoffs, or say ’not now’ when the employee experience requires it.
• Comfort using quantitative and qualitative data to identify patterns, test assumptions, and recommend action.
• High standards for execution and an eagerness to roll up your sleeves. You do not believe seniority puts distance between you and the work.
• Sound judgment about when to act independently, when to seek additional context, and when a decision requires escalation.
• Curiosity, humility, and the willingness to change your mind when new information points to a better answer.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leading performance management, compensation, employee listening, or other enterprise People programs.
• Driving employee adoption or behavior change related to AI, technology, or new ways of working.
• Designing an operating model or enablement system for ERGs, employee communities, or volunteer‑led programs.
• Working in a fast‑moving, founder‑led, technology, fintech, or highly regulated environment.
• Experience spanning more than one of the following disciplines: internal communications, HR/People programs, enterprise program management, change management, learning, or people analytics.

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 but are encouraged to still spend high quality time in‑person collaborating via regular onsites. The in‑person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2‑4 consecutive days at a time.

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
• Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
• Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
• Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
• Family‑centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
• 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 (US Only)
• 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, all‑company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro‑kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!)

For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.

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 [e-mail]

https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy

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).

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

$191,000 — $265,300 USD