Principal Software Engineer

About Upstart

Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than two-thirds of Upstart loans are approved instantly and are fully automated.

Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.

Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you!

The Team: 

The Identity Platform team is responsible for the creating, securing and managing the borrower and partner identity that is the center piece of all Upstart loan products like Personal Loans, Auto Loans and Home Loans.The Identity platform team is responsible for all Authentication and Authorization Platform and the experiences ( Frontend ) associated with it. We ensure borrowers and partners are able to authenticate securely and seamlessly and their data is protected from unauthorized access.

As a Principal Software Engineer, you are at the helm of driving technical excellence, execution and innovation within the Identity Platform team. You are responsible for setting the technical vision and direction for Identity Platform that works backwards from our product strategy. You will work closely with Product partners from different verticals to help them plan, create and deliver secure product experiences that are frictionless.  You will have the opportunity to design and build large scale systems from the ground up, partner closely with Infosec and CSO, and work in a highly-collaborative and fast-paced environment. We are looking for a seasoned leader with a passion for Identity and Access Management, Customer Experience, experimentation, and distributed systems. If this sounds exciting, we would love to hear from you. 

How you’ll make an impact

• Define the long-term technical direction and roadmap for Identity and Access Management Platform in alignment with Upstart’s business objectives. 
• Lead the design, development and execution of a system that emphasizes security and ease of access.
• Work closely with the Informational Security team to improve and develop standards that ensure that our customer data is secure.
• Guide the architectural evolution of Identity engineering systems with an emphasis on security, scaling innovation across multiple engineering teams. 
• Uncover and drive alignment across complex technical requirements, designs, trade-offs, influencing product direction 
• Proactively evaluate, prototype, and roll out new technologies/frameworks to help cultivate a culture of innovation
• Lead from the front, while mentoring and developing technical leaders

Minimum Qualifications 

• 10+ years of experience developing large scale distributed systems in the cloud
• 7+ years of experience leading large cross-team initiatives
• Experience building highly scalable APIs using containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes
• Solid grasp of software development principles and best practices for creating scalable and maintainable systems
• Proficiency in one or more object oriented programming languages like Kotlin, Ruby,, C#, C++
• Strong communication skills and ability to explain complex business and technical concepts to all audiences
• Track record of successfully mentoring and developing technical leaders
• Experience working in dynamic fast paced organizations
• Ability to balance the needs of the business with the needs of engineering improvements
• Passion for clean code and architecture and initiative to “level-up” the engineering team with better practices & design
• You are able lead and resolve company-wide technical discussions and are able to collaborate and include input from cross-functional teams (security, devops, data, compliance and product)
• You have a good sense for build-vs-buy and are able to prioritize the highest ROI architectural investments

Preferred Qualifications

• High proficiency with OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect Specifications.
• Experience working in Identity and Security Platform.
• Experience with building Kotlin or Java Backend services.
• Experience with A/B testing, GRPC and Devops.
• Background in Keycloak, Devops, Ruby and NextJS is a big plus. 
• Experience designing and building microservice-based architectures
• Experience developing large scale distributed systems in AWS
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the quality and timely delivery of work
• Ability to thrive both in self-directed work environments and in collaborative settings, contributing positively to team dynamics
• Demonstrated ability to take feedback well and actively incorporate it into work with a desire to continuously improve
• Ability to influence and lead without direct authority
• Strong product and analytical mindset that allows you to think in terms of ROI, risk, and trade offs
• Experience working at companies that have gone through periods of rapid business or organizational growth

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

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.

What you'll love: 

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart 
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave  
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

#LI-REMOTE

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).

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together. 

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