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
Upstart’s Agentic Platform team is responsible for building the internal AI infrastructure that powers autonomous agents across the company. These agents support teams spanning Onboarding, Servicing, Fraud, and Operations by automating high-volume workflows and enabling faster, more consistent decision-making.
The team’s mission is to democratize AI development across Upstart by creating a platform that allows non-technical users to build, test, and deploy intelligent agents safely and efficiently. This includes developing tools for agent configuration, evaluation, orchestration, and integration with internal systems.
As a Principal Product Manager, you will own the long-term vision and strategy for this platform—defining how AI agents are built, governed, and scaled across Upstart. You will operate as a cross-functional leader, aligning engineering, research, legal, compliance, and operations teams around a shared roadmap and driving adoption of the platform across the company.
This would be a good fit for someone who has an experience as an ML Researcher/Engineer who made the transition into Product Management.
How you'll make an impact
- Set and drive the long-term vision and multi-year strategy for Upstart’s Agentic Platform, establishing it as a foundational capability across the company
- Own and evolve the platform roadmap, making high-leverage prioritization decisions that balance speed, safety, scalability, and business impact
- Lead the development of intuitive, high-quality product experiences that enable non-technical users to build, test, and deploy agents without writing code
- Establish best-in-class evaluation, simulation, and safety frameworks to ensure agents are reliable, compliant, and production-ready in a regulated environment
- Define the architectural strategy for agentic systems, including orchestration, tool usage, memory, retrieval (RAG), and state management
- Drive company-wide adoption by partnering with senior stakeholders across engineering, legal, compliance, and operations to identify opportunities and embed the platform into critical workflows
- Make strategic decisions on model lifecycle management (frontier vs. fine-tuned/distilled), optimizing for cost, latency, and performance at scale
- Define and standardize human-in-the-loop patterns, ensuring seamless and auditable transitions between agents and human operators
- Translate complex AI and system design concepts into clear, actionable direction for both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Raise the bar for product management across the organization by mentoring other PMs and influencing best practice
Minimum Qualifications
- BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- 8+ years of product management experience, including ownership of complex technical or platform products
- Strong foundation in machine learning concepts and modern AI systems (e.g., LLMs, RAG, tool-calling, memory)
- Experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver AI/ML-powered products from concept to production at scale
- Demonstrated ability to define product strategy and drive alignment across senior stakeholders in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
- Excellent problem-solving, communication, and organizational leadership skills
Preferred Qualifications
- Background in machine learning engineering or research prior to transitioning into product management
- Experience building and scaling platforms or internal tools used by multiple teams
- Experience operating in highly regulated industries (e.g., fintech, healthcare), with a strong understanding of compliance and risk considerations
- Deep familiarity with evaluation frameworks, simulation environments, and model performance measurement
- Strong product intuition and design sensibility, particularly for tools serving non-technical users
- Track record of influencing org-level decisions and driving adoption of new platforms or technologies
Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote
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.
#LI-REMOTE
#LI-MidSenior
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).
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
- 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, with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
- 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, located in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).
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 [email protected]
https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy
Top Skills
Similar Jobs at Upstart
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
