Senior Backend Engineer — Identity & Security (Remote)

Upstart; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 167,000 - 242,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

401(k) with company match

Equity grants

Comprehensive health coverage

Annual wellness allowance

Remote-first with onsite options

Job summary

Upstart is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Identity team. You will build secure backend systems powering login, account management, authentication, and authorization across Upstart products. You’ll own projects from design through delivery, collaborating with Product, Information Security, and Application Security to scale secure customer experiences.

The role emphasizes backend focus, with frontend experience welcome. Remote work is supported within the US.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4+ years of software engineering experience.
• Experience designing, building, testing, and maintaining production backend software or services.
• Experience owning software projects through multiple stages of the lifecycle.
• Experience designing or integrating APIs in distributed systems.
• Experience applying software engineering practices including code review, automated testing, debugging, and production support.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate backend systems powering login, account management, authentication, and authorization across Upstart products.
• Own engineering projects from problem definition to deployment and ongoing improvement.
• Balance security with customer experience, protecting data while reducing friction.
• Partner with Product, Information Security, and other teams to deliver secure capabilities and influence product direction.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, maintainability, and security of interconnected systems.
• Leverage AI-assisted tools to accelerate learning and delivery while applying engineering judgment.

Skills

Backend software engineering

API design

Security-focused development

Troubleshooting & debugging

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math or related field

Tools

Cursor

Claude Code

Job description

Upstart is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Identity team. You will build secure backend systems powering login, account management, authentication, and authorization across Upstart products. You’ll own projects from design through delivery, collaborating with Product, Information Security, and Application Security to scale secure customer experiences.

The role emphasizes backend focus, with frontend experience welcome. Remote work is supported within the US.