Software Engineer, Foundations

Upstart; Columbus, Austin, San Francisco, New York (OH, TX, CA, NY); Hybrid; USD 142,000 - 196,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation, including base pay and bonuses

401(k) with company match

Comprehensive health coverage

Paid time off and holidays

Employee Assistance Program for mental health support

Annual wellness allowance

Job summary

Upstart is looking for a Software Engineer to enhance and scale backend data systems. You will collaborate with engineering, product, and marketing teams to improve data workflows essential for marketing operations.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 3 years of experience in software engineering. Competitive benefits and a remote work opportunity are also provided, with an anticipated salary range of $142,000 to $196,000.

Qualifications

• 3 years of software engineering experience.
• Experience working with backend systems or large-scale data platforms.
• Experience implementing monitoring and observability practices.

Responsibilities

• Build scalable backend systems and data pipelines.
• Partner with product managers and marketers.
• Extend existing data infrastructure.
• Contribute to data quality initiatives.

Skills

Building and maintaining backend distributed systems

Data processing systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Implementation of fault tolerance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics

Job description

Software Engineer – Foundations

As a Software Engineer, Foundations at Upstart, you will help scale and extend backend data systems that enable high-quality, reliable marketing data workflows. You will partner closely with engineering, product, and marketing stakeholders to improve data availability, maintainability, and observability while supporting business‑critical marketing operations.

How you’ll make an impact

• Build and maintain scalable backend systems and data pipelines that support audience segmentation and marketing attribution workflows.
• Partner with product managers, marketers, and engineers to deliver data solutions that support customer acquisition and conversion goals.
• Extend existing data infrastructure to support increasing data volumes, evolving business requirements, and new integrations.
• Contribute to data quality initiatives by implementing monitoring, validation, and guardrail mechanisms across critical datasets.
• Participate in technical discussions around architecture, access patterns, and platform scalability to support long‑term platform growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) plus 3 years of software engineering experience.
• 3+ years of experience building and maintaining backend distributed systems or large‑scale data platforms.
• Experience working with data processing systems, databases, or data pipelines in production environments.
• Experience implementing fault tolerance, monitoring, and observability practices for backend systems.
• Experience collaborating cross‑functionally with engineering, product, or business stakeholders to deliver technical solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of data modeling and schema design best practices for large‑scale data systems.
• Experience supporting marketing technology, attribution, or customer segmentation platforms.
• Familiarity with data governance, privacy, and PII security considerations.
• Ability to balance short‑term feature delivery with long‑term platform maintainability and scalability.
• Experience contributing to architectural discussions and improving engineering best practices across teams.

Position Location

This role is available in the following location: Remote.

Travel Requirements

As a digital‑first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. Employees are encouraged to spend high quality time in‑person collaborating via regular onsite sessions. The in‑person cadence varies but most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2‑4 consecutive days.

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!).

Anticipated Base Salary Range

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

$142,000—$196,000 USD

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.