Software Engineer, Distribution Platform

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 3,000 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, 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 Distribution Platform team is developing innovative solutions and strategies that drive efficient and scalable marketing outreach, empowering us to effectively engage with our users while having a direct impact on Upstart's mission and growth. The team is responsible for some of our highest value distribution channels including digital ads, direct mail, and partner integrations. Our goal is to build an intelligent, unified system that learns, automates, and scales how Upstart engages with our customers on these channels.  

As a Software Engineer on the Distribution Platform team  at Upstart, you will be instrumental in helping us create the tools and systems to target the right users with the right content at the right time. You will work closely with cross-functional counterparts in Analytics, Marketing, Machine Learning, and Product to create a scalable marketing platform that mobilizes Upstart’s owned channels to drive users to our products efficiently. 

How you’ll make an impact

• Work with cross functional partners including product managers, designers, machine learning engineers, analytics, and marketing managers to design and deliver high-quality products to be served across various marketing channels
• Design and build technology for serving marketing content to users in a scalable and efficient manner
• Make architectural contributions and decisions to improve the reliability of our software and maintainability of our code base

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 3 years of experience
• Strong proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Ruby, Java, Kotlin, Python, or Javascript
• Experience building scalable APIs and microservices in a cloud-based environment (e.g., AWS, GCP).
• Experience leading small to medium sized projects over multiple months and/or multiple engineers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work in a distributed team 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working on systems that integrate with 3rd parties and/or ingest, store, expose large amounts of data
• Experience with SQL, data warehouses, or other database technologies
• Professional experience with digital advertising platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads
• Professional experience working with Ruby on Rails and/or Kotlin
• Experience or interest in working with React, typescript, or front end technologies
• Experience working with marketing technology or growth engineering

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-Associate 

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 for full-time employees 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

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 candidate_accommodations@upstart.com

https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy