Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace dedicated to reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. The Senior Software Engineer will design and build scalable backend systems to streamline loan origination workflows and enhance the reliability and scalability of critical systems.
Responsibilities
- Design and build scalable backend services and platform capabilities that support origination workflows across multiple products and lending partners
- Improve the reliability, observability, and operational resilience of critical origination systems and APIs
- Refactor and decouple legacy systems to create reusable, product-agnostic platform infrastructure that scales across partner and product types
- Build orchestration and workflow solutions that streamline partner onboarding, reduce manual operational work, and improve system consistency
- Collaborate closely with Engineering, Product, Lending Partnerships, Compliance, Legal, and Loan Sales teams to deliver secure and scalable lending experiences
- Drive technical design discussions, author design documents, and contribute to engineering best practices for system quality, monitoring, and operational excellence
- Use AI-assisted development tools and automation thoughtfully to improve engineering productivity and reduce repetitive workflows
- Participate in operational support and incident response, helping identify root causes and implement long-term system improvements
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) and 4+ years of software engineering experience
- 6+ years of experience building and operating backend services, APIs, or data-intensive systems in production environments
- Experience owning software through the full development lifecycle, including design, implementation, deployment, monitoring, and on-call support
- Proficiency with at least one modern backend development framework or programming language; experience with Ruby on Rails or the ability to ramp quickly in a Ruby-based codebase
- Experience designing distributed systems, service integrations, or workflow-based architectures that support scalability and reliability
- Experience working in fintech, lending, banking, or capital markets environments with high expectations for data accuracy, auditability, and system reliability
- Knowledge of orchestration platforms or workflow engines such as Temporal
- Ability to identify operational inefficiencies and build scalable automation or self-service tooling to improve engineering workflows
- Skills in system observability, incident analysis, and production monitoring practices
- Experience using AI-assisted development tools, automation frameworks, or AI agents to improve software engineering productivity and operational efficiency
Benefits
- Target bonuses
- Equity compensation
- Generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k)
- 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!)
Company Overview
Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. It was founded in 2012, and is headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is https://upstart.com/about.Company H1B Sponsorship
Upstart has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 14 in 2026, 67 in 2025, 66 in 2024, 84 in 2023, 85 in 2022, 42 in 2021, 15 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.