Senior Software Engineer, Marketplace Optimization

Upstart; United States; On-site; USD 166,900 - 230,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Equity grants

Wellness allowance

401k match

ESPP

Job summary

Upstart is hiring a Senior Software Engineer for Marketplace Optimization. You will design and operate backend services powering the AI lending marketplace, and collaborate with Product, ML, and analytics to translate business problems into scalable software solutions.

You’ll work on distributed systems, optimize monetization strategies, and improve real-time decision engines while contributing to a digital-first, remote-friendly culture with regular in-person meetings across major US cities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in CS, Engineering, Mathematics, or related field.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience in backend or distributed systems.
• Experience with Ruby on Rails, Python, or Kotlin.
• Experience designing APIs and building scalable distributed systems.
• Experience operating production services with reliability, monitoring and testing.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred).
• Experience collaborating with engineers, product, and business stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and operate highly available backend services powering Upstart's real-time lending marketplace.
• Develop scalable systems enabling rapid experimentation while maintaining reliability of production services.
• Partner with Product, ML, Capital Markets, and Analytics to translate complex problems into elegant technical solutions.
• Build flexible platform capabilities enabling new marketplace optimization and monetization strategies.
• Improve scalability, observability, and operational excellence of systems for real-time decisions.
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, testing, and production ownership.

Skills

Backend engineering

Ruby on Rails

Python

Kotlin

APIs design

AWS

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Engineering/Math

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

Marketplace Optimization builds the intelligent systems that power Upstart’s AI lending marketplace. Our teams make real‑time decisions about how borrowers are matched with capital, how offers are constructed, and how the marketplace evolves through experimentation. We solve complex optimization problems at scale, balancing borrower experience, investor objectives, profitability, and operational efficiency while operating some of the most critical services at Upstart.

Within Marketplace Optimization, engineers join one of two closely related teams:

• Monetization builds the marketplace services that optimize marketplace economics through origination fees, offer construction, and experimentation capabilities that allow the business to rapidly evolve monetization strategies.
• Matching & Offer Selection builds the real‑time decision engine that intelligently matches borrowers with capital providers while balancing borrower outcomes, investor commitments, marketplace efficiency, and business objectives.

As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll partner closely with Product, Machine Learning, Pricing, Capital Markets, Lending Partnerships, and Analytics to build highly reliable distributed systems that power millions of lending decisions. You'll work on systems at the heart of Upstart's lending marketplace. The software your team builds determines how borrowers are matched with capital, how offers are constructed, and how marketplace decisions are executed in real time. It's an opportunity to solve challenging distributed systems problems while building software with direct, measurable impact on borrowers, investors, and the business.

How you’ll make an impact

• Design, build, and operate highly available backend services that power Upstart's real‑time lending marketplace.
• Develop scalable systems that enable rapid experimentation while maintaining the reliability of business‑critical production services.
• Partner with Product, Machine Learning, Capital Markets, and Analytics to translate complex business problems into elegant technical solutions.
• Build flexible platform capabilities that enable new marketplace optimization and monetization strategies.
• Improve the scalability, observability, and operational excellence of systems responsible for real‑time marketplace decisions.
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, testing, and operational ownership of critical production systems.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience building backend or distributed systems
• Experience developing production services using one or more of Ruby on Rails, Python, or Kotlin
• Experience designing APIs and building scalable distributed systems
• Experience operating business‑critical production services with an emphasis on reliability, monitoring, testing, and operational excellence
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and modern cloud‑native application development
• Experience collaborating across engineering, product, and business stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building marketplaces, recommendation systems, optimization engines, financial systems
• Experience with event‑driven architectures, Kafka, workflow orchestration, or real‑time data processing
• Experience partnering with Machine Learning or Data Science teams
• Experience improving platform scalability and evolving distributed system architecture
• Interest in solving complex optimization problems that combine technical and business tradeoffs

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 or Canada (outside of Quebec) but are expected to spend high quality time in‑person collaborating via regular onsites and in‑person meetings. The onsite 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

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