Principal Software Engineer

Upstart; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity compensation

401(k) with company match

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid time off and family leave

Job summary

Upstart is seeking a seasoned software engineer to lead the architecture and design of internal platforms and automation. The role involves establishing scalable patterns and mentoring engineers while collaborating with risk, compliance, and operations teams.

Qualified candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree, at least 8 years of experience in software engineering, and a proven track record in designing large-scale production software. The position offers equity compensation, comprehensive health benefits, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience with large-scale production software.
• Experience in architecture and design for distributed systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and design of internal platforms.
• Establish scalable patterns and standards.
• Mentor engineers through leadership and best practices.

Skills

Software engineering

Technical leadership

API design

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Overview

Lead architecture and design of internal platforms and automation. Establish scalable patterns, standards, and designs for growth. Partner with risk, compliance, legal, and operations to translate requirements. Design and oversee relational data models, APIs, integrations, and authentication. Identify and mitigate technical risks; balance build‑versus‑buy decisions. Mentor engineers through technical leadership, reviews, and best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience; 8+ years software engineering.
• Experience designing and operating large‑scale production software and web applications.
• Experience leading architecture and design for distributed systems or internal platforms.
• Experience designing relational database schemas, APIs, integrations, authentication, and role‑based access control.
• Experience partnering with cross‑functional stakeholders for operational or compliance workflows.
• Strong technical leadership, architecture reviews, and mentorship of engineers.

Benefits

• Equity compensation and annual bonuses.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Health Savings Account contributions.
• Paid time off, sick leave, holidays, and family leave.