Senior Software Engineer, Core Platform

OhioX; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 167,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Equity grants

401k match

ESPP

Job summary

Upstart is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the Servicing Engineering team. You will enhance loan servicing, automate processes, and partner with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable backend solutions.

This role emphasizes impact beyond individual projects and improving end-to-end customer experiences. You will design, implement, and operate distributed services, working with Kotlin/Java, APIs, and ML signals integration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 5+ years software engineering experience.
• 3+ years backend experience in Kotlin/Java or OO language.
• Experience designing and operating distributed systems and APIs.
• Experience building scalable backend services processing production data.
• Experience contributing to decision engines that integrate with ML models.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-team projects and drive multi-quarter delivery.
• Automate workflows and improve servicing platform for efficiency.
• Collaborate with partners to enhance customer experiences.
• Build scalable, maintainable backend services.

Skills

Backend development

Distributed systems

APIs / event-driven

Testing & observability

ML signals integration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math

Tools

Kotlin

Java

Microservices

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 3,000 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:

As a member of our Servicing Engineering team, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring smooth loan management, optimizing collections, and cultivating strong customer relationships. Our team's primary objective is to develop a cutting-edge loan servicing platform, introduce business process automation, enhance efficiency, and deliver an intuitive user experience for both borrowers and internal stakeholders.

As a Senior Software Engineer on our Servicing Engineering team, you’ll work closely with cross-functional partners to identify areas for improvement, automate repetitive tasks, and implement scalable solutions. By optimizing workflows, integrating systems, and leveraging technology, we empower our servicing partners to prioritize high-value activities and deliver exceptional service to our customers. Your contributions will be instrumental in delivering exceptional customer experiences, while driving continuous improvement in our servicing capabilities to meet the growing demands of our unique role in the fintech ecosystem.

How you’ll make an impact

• Lead successful cross-team and/or multi-quarter, multi-engineer projects
• Move quickly to drive both existing and greenfield projects forward, while always keeping our end users in mind
• Proactively search out ways to expand impact that extends well beyond the Jira board
• Turn team-specific projects into opportunities to up-level the team and the org’s tech platform
• Help us build our engineering team and make Upstart a genuinely awesome place to work

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) and 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of experience developing backend applications using Kotlin, Java, or another object-oriented programming language.
• Experience designing, building, and operating distributed systems, including service-to-service APIs and event-driven architectures.
• Experience building and maintaining scalable backend services that process business-critical or financial data in production environments.
• Experience contributing to decision engines that integrate with machine learning models to evaluate signals..
• Experience writing production-quality code supported by automated testing, monitoring, and observability practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on systems that integrate with 3rd parties and/or ingest, store, expose large amounts of data
• Experience with SQL, data warehouses, or other database technologies
• Experience designing, developing, and deploying microservices-based applications
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the quality and timely delivery of work
• Demonstrated ability to take feedback well and actively incorporate it into work, showing a growth mindset and a desire to continuously improve
• Ability to thrive both in self-directed work environments and in collaborative settings, contributing positively to team dynamics.

Position location

This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time zone requirements

The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

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

$166,900 — $230,900 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

$153,000 — $190,000 CAD

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