Senior Manager, Machine Learning

Upstart; United States; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Generous 401(k) plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Health coverage

Paid family and parental leave

Job summary

Upstart is looking for a hands-on Machine Learning Manager to join our Core ML organization, focusing on leadership, strategic initiatives, and driving impactful ML projects. The role involves deep technical contributions, leading teams, and translating ML models into business outcomes.

Minimum qualifications include 6+ years in machine learning with a strong educational background. The position is remote, with occasional on-site collaboration.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience developing and deploying machine learning models in production.
• Track record of leading high-impact ML initiatives.
• Strong technical judgment and ability to understand model design.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic initiatives and act as a player-coach in technical contributions.
• Drive scaling ML efforts based on team placement.
• Translate models into business impact by refining decision engines.

Skills

Machine Learning

Leadership

Data Analysis

Model Deployment

Education

Advanced degree in a quantitative field

Job description

About the Role

Our Core ML organization is looking for an exceptional, hands-on Machine Learning Manager to join our leadership group. Because our ML teams share common codebases and modeling pipelines, we are searching for generalist ML leaders who can be deployed to the areas of our business where they will have the most impact.

Teams

• Cash Line: Leading the 0→1 ML innovation for our brand new subscription-based line of credit, building core underwriting and customer behavior models (churn, draw, default) in a domain with limited data and long feedback loops.
• Auto Retail Lending (ARL): Tackling unique, deep-modeling challenges such as competing risk, collateral, and recovery modeling for dealership-based auto lending.
• Underwriting: Managing MLE-heavy engineering and research efforts to optimize our core unsecured personal loan models.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Player‑Coach: Dive deep into the data and code, making direct technical contributions, reviewing code/PRs, and understanding the mathematical nuances of your team’s models.
• Lead Strategic Initiatives: Take ownership of a specific product area (like Cash Line or Auto) and serve as the de facto ML leader in cross-functional strategy meetings.
• Drive 0→1 and Scaling ML Efforts: Depending on your team placement, build out entirely new capabilities from scratch or optimize highly mature models dealing with massive scale and shifting macro‑economic regimes.
• Translate Models to Business Impact: Design and refine decision engines that translate model predictions into accurate, transparent, and customer-friendly lending outcomes.

Minimum Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience developing and deploying machine learning models in production with direct business impact.
• Proven track record of leading high‑impact ML initiatives from research through productionization.
• Advanced degree in a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, statistics, economics, operations research).
• Strong technical judgment and ability to dive deep into model design, data analysis, and evaluation.
• Keen statistical, economic and business intuition, and comfort with reasoning under uncertainty and data limitations.
• Knowledge of production ML, ability to adapt to new tech stacks and get in the weeds of work output from the team.
• Excited and able to make direct technical contributions when needed.
• Exceptional leadership skills with experience developing teams of highly technical ML scientists.
• Attract, mentor, and grow a top‑tier team of ML scientists passionate about expanding access to credit.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate cross‑functionally with Product, Engineering, Capital Markets and other teams.
• Strong project management skills with experience scaling processes and operational workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, Economics or a related field.
• Proven success building and scaling new ML products from inception.
• Familiarity with lending, lines of credit, or other consumer finance products.
• Hands‑on familiarity with end-to-end ML infrastructure, including experimentation pipelines, feature stores, and model monitoring. Ability to uplevel team’s engineering practices and drive cross‑functional engineering design.

Location

US Remote (East/West Coast time zones). Regular on‑site collaboration sessions 3–4 days per quarter at one of our offices, with travel expenses covered.

Compensation

Anticipated base salary range: $238,400 – $330,200 USD. In addition, Upstart provides target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly.
• Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees.
• Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage; Upstart covers 90–100% of the cost depending on plan.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans.
• Income protection benefits, including company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, and Short‑ and Long‑Term Disability coverage, with options to purchase supplemental coverage.
• Paid time off, sick and safe time, and company holidays.
• Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments.
• Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving.
• 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.
• 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 and onsites, all‑company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs).
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro‑kitchens when working from one of our four offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026).

EEO Statement

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.