Principal Software Engineer, Unsecured Installments

Upstart; United States; On-site; USD 195,300 - 270,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) company match

Comprehensive health coverage

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Upstart is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to help define the technical direction for its unsecured installment lending product. This role involves designing backend systems, leading technical direction, and working alongside cross-functional teams. Ideal candidates will have 8+ years of software engineering experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related fields, and proficiency in object-oriented programming.

The position offers remote work flexibility across the United States, competitive compensation, and comprehensive benefits, including health coverage and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• Strong experience in designing distributed systems.
• Proficiency in an object-oriented language like Python or Java.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve core backend systems for unsecured installment lending.
• Lead technical direction across underwriting, pricing, and borrower workflows.
• Partner with machine learning engineers to integrate decision systems.

Skills

Distributed systems design

Object-oriented programming

API development

Cross-functional collaboration

AI tools in engineering workflows

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field

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 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

Unsecured Installments is one of Upstart’s core lending products, helping borrowers access credit through a seamless, digitally native experience. The team owns critical parts of the borrower journey across offer generation, pricing, underwriting, funding, and borrower experience, while working closely with the broader lending platform that powers Upstart at scale.

We operate in a high-ownership environment where engineering plays a direct role in shaping product strategy, credit outcomes, and platform evolution. This team works on complex, high-leverage problems at the intersection of software, machine learning, economics, and compliance. Recent work has focused on improving borrower flows, repricing and rate flexibility, partnership experiences, and the technical health of the platform.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you’ll help define the technical direction for a broad and business-critical surface area. You’ll partner closely with product, machine learning, analytics, compliance, and other engineering teams to build systems that are reliable, scalable, and adaptable as the product continues to evolve.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Design and evolve the core backend systems that power Upstart’s unsecured installment lending product.
• Lead architecture and technical direction across complex domains such as underwriting, pricing, offer generation, funding, servicing, and borrower lifecycle workflows.
• Translate product, economic, and operational requirements into scalable technical systems that balance speed, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
• Partner closely with machine learning engineers and data teams to productionize models and integrate decisioning systems into real-time borrower experiences.
• Improve the systems and services behind key borrower and partner flows, including experimentation, repricing, and moments of borrower friction.
• Influence architectural decisions across team boundaries, helping connect the Unsecured Installments roadmap with Upstart’s broader lending platform and shared infrastructure.
• Raise the bar for engineering quality through strong API design, thoughtful domain modeling, observability, testing, and operational excellence.
• Mentor other engineers and serve as a technical leader who can bring clarity, drive alignment, and help teams execute through ambiguity.
• Contribute to how the team uses AI in development workflows and product capabilities, with a pragmatic view of where it can create meaningful leverage.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) and 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• Strong experience designing distributed systems and event-driven architectures, including real-world handling of retries, idempotency, fault tolerance, and failure modes.
• Proficiency in an object-oriented language such as Python, Java, Kotlin, C#, or Ruby, with deep experience building APIs and service-oriented backend systems.
• Track record of leading technical design and delivery for large-scope, business-critical systems.
• Ability to work effectively in ambiguous environments where product requirements, operating constraints, and system boundaries evolve over time.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills and comfort working closely with product, analytics, compliance, risk, and other business stakeholders.
• Experience influencing technical direction beyond a single team, including driving alignment across engineers with different priorities and constraints.
• Active use of AI tools in engineering workflows, with a thoughtful perspective on how AI is reshaping software development.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain complex tradeoffs and advocate for high-impact solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in fintech, lending, payments, or other regulated financial systems.
• Familiarity with unsecured installment lending, offer and pricing systems, borrower acquisition flows, funding, or servicing platforms.
• Experience building systems that support experimentation, repricing, or other dynamic product and decisioning workflows.
• Background working with machine learning-driven underwriting, pricing, or risk systems.
• Experience operating as a technical leader on small or midsized teams with broad product ownership.
• Hands‑on experience leveraging generative AI in product features or internal engineering workflows.
• Passion for building products that expand access to credit and improve financial outcomes for consumers.

Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote, Burlingame, Columbus, Austin, New York

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.

Anticipated Base Salary Range (United States | Remote):

$195,300 — $270,400 USD

Anticipated Base Salary Range (Canada | Remote):

$182,800 — $230,000 CAD

What you’ll love

• 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