Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Upstart is an AI lending marketplace focused on reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing for Americans. As a Senior Software Engineer in Marketplace Optimization, you will design and build backend services that power real-time lending decisions, collaborating with various teams to solve complex distributed systems problems.
Responsibilities
- Design, build, and operate highly available backend services that power Upstart's real-time lending marketplace
- Develop scalable systems that enable rapid experimentation while maintaining the reliability of business-critical production services
- Partner with Product, Machine Learning, Capital Markets, and Analytics to translate complex business problems into elegant technical solutions
- Build flexible platform capabilities that enable new marketplace optimization and monetization strategies
- Improve the scalability, observability, and operational excellence of systems responsible for real-time marketplace decisions
- Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, testing, and operational ownership of critical production systems
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience)
- 5+ years of professional software engineering experience building backend or distributed systems
- Experience developing production services using one or more of Ruby on Rails, Python, or Kotlin
- Experience designing APIs and building scalable distributed systems
- Experience operating business-critical production services with an emphasis on reliability, monitoring, testing, and operational excellence
- Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and modern cloud-native application development
- Experience collaborating across engineering, product, and business stakeholders
- Experience building marketplaces, recommendation systems, optimization engines, financial systems
- Experience with event-driven architectures, Kafka, workflow orchestration, or real-time data processing
- Experience partnering with Machine Learning or Data Science teams
- Experience improving platform scalability and evolving distributed system architecture
- Interest in solving complex optimization problems that combine technical and business tradeoffs
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
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