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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
The Servicing Personalization and ML Enablement team at Upstart is pioneering how we adapt borrower experiences using machine learning. Today, all borrowers are treated uniformly regardless of their financial situations. This team is changing that by introducing intelligent, adaptive systems that personalize communication, outreach, and servicing strategies. As the Senior Engineering Manager, you’ll play a foundational role in building this capability from the ground up—defining both the technical vision and team culture. Reporting to a Sr Director of Engineering, you’ll lead the creation of a new team spanning ML engineers and software engineers focused on personalization, selection, and experimentation infrastructure.
How You’ll Make an Impact
- Define and drive the multi-year technical roadmap for personalization and selection systems across Upstart’s servicing domain.
- Build and scale a high-caliber team of engineers and ML practitioners that can deliver both infrastructure and ML models in production.
- Launch ML-powered personalization models that adapt borrower experiences in real time, reducing delinquencies and increasing satisfaction.
- Lead the development of experimentation platforms (e.g., A/B testing, bandits) that accelerate model iteration and feature evaluation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Data Science, and ML leadership to ensure alignment with borrower and business outcomes.
- Embed fairness, explainability, and governance into all personalization efforts to ensure responsible AI practices at scale.
- Establish clear metrics for model impact (e.g., lift, latency, precision/recall) and build observability practices for robust operations.
Minimum Qualifications
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 4+ years in people management roles.
- Hands-on experience with ML systems, personalization engines, recommendation platforms, or experimentation infrastructure.
- Experience working with MLOps, data engineering, and applied ML research teams.
- Proven ability to hire and grow high-performing ML and engineering talent in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
- Strong strategic thinking with the ability to connect engineering efforts to business and borrower outcomes.
- Effective communication skills and a track record of cross-functional leadership.
Preferred Qualifications
- Deep Technical understanding of machine learning fundamentals, data pipelines, and deploying models at scale.
- Experience with large-scale ML serving systems, online learning, or ranking/recommender systems.
- Familiarity with experimentation methodologies such as multi-armed bandits or reinforcement learning.
- Awareness of ethical AI topics including fairness, explainability, and model governance.
- Demonstrated success deploying ML systems in production environments serving millions of users.
- Strong systems thinking approach to infrastructure that enables scale, reliability, and iteration.
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
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