Principal Product Manager, Marketplace Optimization

Upstart

6d•Remote

About The Position

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: Upstart’s Marketplace Optimization team builds and scales systems that clear Upstart’s marketplace by balancing tradeoffs for borrowers, lenders, investors, and Upstart. We enable borrowers to access credit, and our capital partners to deploy capital efficiently and with confidence. As the Principal Product Manager, Marketplace Optimization at Upstart, you will partner with Machine Learning to optimize those systems, and work with our engineering and business teams to simplify and automate the operations of the system. You will design experiments to test your best ideas, and be responsible for defining and hitting goals for every side of Upstart’s marketplace.

Requirements

8+ years experience in a marketplace product management role, with demonstrated success leading an engineering team to deliver critical initiatives in the domains of pricing, monetization, matching, routing, incentives.
Ability to build relationships and effectively collaborate with all levels of the organization, from C-level to individual contributors
Ability to manage and influence through persuasion, negotiation, and consensus building.

Nice To Haves

Academic degree in Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Operations Research
Hands-on experience applying optimization and simulation to real business problems.
Track record driving automation that reduces manual work in operational workflows.
Background in marketplace pricing, matching, or capital/finance products — able to translate business constraints into system configs
Strong experiment design+analysis experience (A/B testing, offline simulations, and metrics-driven decisions)

Responsibilities

You’ll create the mechanisms that clear Upstart’s marketplace, improving rates for customers and returns for capital partners.
Shape the algorithms that determine how participants are matched, and define the rules that support stable, trusted outcomes for all participants at scale.
You’ll collaborate on the vision and strategy for Upstart’s marketplace with Machine learning, our business teams, and engineering. What should we focus on, why, and when?
Ultimately customers tangibly save money and capital partners earn superior risk-adjusted returns thanks to your work.

Benefits

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!).