Senior Applied ML Engineer

Upstart; United States; Remote; USD 168,000 - 232,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Annual equity grants

401(k) matching

Comprehensive health coverage

Remote-friendly culture

Job summary

Upstart is hiring a Senior Applied Machine Learning Engineer to build LLM-driven features across products. You’ll partner with researchers, product managers, and platform engineers to ship intelligent capabilities that enhance user experience and expand system capabilities.

You’ll design architecture for applied ML systems, balancing latency, observability, and iteration speed while shipping reliable APIs and user-facing features.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in software engineering with 2+ years on ML-driven products or intelligent systems.
• Proven ability to lead complex initiatives across engineering, product, and research.
• Strong backend development skills (Python with FastAPI or Flask) and cloud-native tooling (Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform).
• Experience integrating LLMs/ML models into production via APIs and user-facing apps.
• Excellent communication and collaborative, product-minded approach.

Responsibilities

• Design and build user-facing ML features that use LLMs for new product capabilities.
• Collaborate with product, design, and ML research to prototype and deliver ML-powered experiences.
• Own the technical architecture and strategy for applied ML systems with latency and observability in mind.
• Build scalable services and APIs delivering model outputs to users in a trustworthy way.
• Work with platform, infra, and compliance to meet safety and fairness standards.

Skills

Python

FastAPI/Flask

Kubernetes

Docker

Terraform

LLM integration

System design

Communication

Prompt engineering

Tools

LangChain

LlamaIndex

OpenAI APIs

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

Upstart’s Applied LLM team is building foundational infrastructure that democratizes access to generative AI for every product and engineering team across the company. This is a cross-functional team at the intersection of machine learning, product, and engineering. Our mission is to bring the power of ML, particularly large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, to life in Upstart’s core products.

As a Senior Applied Machine Learning Engineer focused on building Upstart’s LLM applications, you’ll work closely with researchers, product managers, platform engineers, and designers to ship intelligent features that elevate the user experience and expand the capabilities of our systems.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Design and build user-facing ML features that harness LLMs and generative AI to unlock new product capabilities
• Partner with product, design, and ML research to prototype and deliver high-impact, ML-powered experiencesOwn the technical architecture and implementation strategy for applied ML systems – balancing latency, observability, and iteration speed
• Build scalable services and APIs that bring model outputs to users in trustworthy and intuitive ways
• Collaborate across platform, infra, and legal/compliance teams to ensure ML deployments meet standards for safety, fairness, and performance
• Establish and evangelize best practices for prompt design, model evaluation, and experimentation across the org

What we’re looking for:

• Minimum qualifications:

• 4 years of software engineering experience, with 2 years working directly on ML-driven products or intelligent systems

• Proven ability to lead complex initiatives across engineering, product, and research stakeholders

• Strong backend development skills (e.g., Python with FastAPI or Flask), plus experience with cloud-native tooling (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform)

• Experience integrating LLMs or ML models into production systems, including APIs and user-facing applications

• Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, product-minded approach

• Ability to think rigorously about system design, latency tradeoffs, and user impact when working with ML features

• Preferred qualifications:

• Experience shipping GenAI or LLM-powered features using frameworks like LangChain, LlamaIndex, or OpenAI APIs

• Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector search (e.g., FAISS, Pinecone), and real-time inference patterns

• Proficiency in full-stack development, including front-end work with React or similar frameworks

• Strong intuition for prompt engineering, model testing, and evaluation methodologies

• Experience navigating complex requirements around explainability, user trust, or compliance in ML applications

• Track record of influencing architecture or product direction at a team or org level

Position location

This role is available in the following locations: Remote

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 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.

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
$167,700-$231,800 USD

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).
Canada | Remote – Anticipated Base Salary Range
$159,000-$193,000 USD

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