Director Of Engineering, Platform Engineering

Upstart•San Mateo, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Upstart is the 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 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload. 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; Austin, Texas; and New York City, NY (opening Summer 2026). 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! Upstart Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is the leading AI lending marketplace, connecting millions of consumers to 100 banks and credit unions that leverage Upstart’s AI models and cloud applications to deliver superior credit products. With Upstart AI, lenders can approve more borrowers at lower rates across races, ages, and genders, while delivering the exceptional digital-first experience customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload. Founded in 2012, Upstart’s platform includes personal loans, automotive retail and refinance loans, and small-dollar “relief” loans. Upstart is based in San Mateo, California, and Columbus, Ohio. Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk . The Role The Platform Engineering team builds and maintains the foundational systems that power all of Upstart’s engineering teams and customer-facing products. This includes our API Gateway, Event Bus, gRPC stack, Frontend Platform, Design System, and secure Login and Identity solutions. The team’s charter is to deliver the communication fabric, authentication frameworks, and next-generation design systems that scale our products and enable engineers to move faster with confidence. While the team executes well today, there is a significant opportunity to improve customer focus, drive adoption across engineering, and reduce fragmentation.

Requirements

Extensive experience in software engineering, with demonstrated success leading teams that deliver platform-level solutions.
Deep expertise in developer productivity frameworks, design systems, and modern front end frameworks
Robust expertise in cloud infrastructure, APIs and gateways, event-driven systems, authentication/authorization.
Proven ability to lead large-scale projects and influence adoption of shared systems across engineering organizations.
Strong technical judgment with the ability to balance speed, scalability, and security.
Experience managing senior engineers and driving outcomes in cross-functional environments.

Nice To Haves

Track record of building and scaling platform teams in fast-moving, high-growth environments.
Experience influencing executive-level stakeholders and ensuring adoption of cross-cutting solutions.
Familiarity with experimentation frameworks and backend event/data processing systems.

Responsibilities

Define and drive the vision and roadmap for core platform solutions powering Upstart’s products and engineering teams.
Deliver scalable, secure communication and identity frameworks that form the backbone of our product suite.
Improve adoption of platform solutions across engineering by partnering closely with other technical leaders.
Lead the development of next-generation design systems and frontend platforms that elevate customer and developer experiences.
Build alignment across organizations to reduce bespoke solutions and technical debt.
Mentor senior engineers and grow future technical leaders within the team.
Represent Platform Engineering in weekly Operational Reviews, Engineering Leadership meetings, and Strategic Planning sessions.

Benefits

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