Principle Software Engineer, Pricing

Upstart

1d•$195,300 - $270,400•Remote

About The Position

The Core Pricing Team is responsible for building a best-in-class platform to accurately create loan offers for all of Upstart’s loan products like Personal Loans, Auto loans and Home loans. The services owned by the team are responsible for validating applicant data, interfacing with Machine Learning models to calculate borrower risk, matching applicants to lenders, and calculating interest rates, fees, etc. We are developing new capabilities for Upstart’s loan products and building a next generation software platform to accelerate innovation on behalf of our customers. As a Principal Software Engineer, you will drive technical excellence and innovation within the Core Pricing team, with a focus on Personal and Unsecured Loans, one of Upstart’s primary revenue drivers. You will set the technical vision and direction for the team, working backward from our product strategy. You will lead efforts to deliver software that uses machine learning to optimize pricing and continuously improve the efficiency of our borrower-lender marketplace. You will have the opportunity to design and build large-scale systems, partner closely with machine learning scientists, and work in a highly collaborative, fast-paced environment. We are looking for a seasoned technical leader with a passion for machine learning, finance, experimentation, and distributed systems. If this sounds exciting, we would love to hear from you.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 8 years of experience
Experience building highly scalable systems using containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes
Experience building flexible, extensible and consistent APIs
Solid grasp of software development principles and best practices for creating scalable, extensible and maintainable systems
Proficiency in one or more object oriented programming languages like Python, Java, 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

Nice To Haves

High proficiency with Python
Experience with A/B testing, GRPC, and Kafka
Experience working in Fintech, Pricing, Ads, or ML.
Background in statistics, mathematics, or econometrics 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

Responsibilities

Define the long-term technical direction and roadmap for Pricing in alignment with Upstart’s business objectives.
Lead the design and development of a system that continuously optimizes the matching of supply and demand for Upstart’s borrower-lender marketplace.
Work closely with ML scientists to improve and develop new models that improve core business metrics.
Guide the architectural evolution of Pricing engineering systems with an emphasis on 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.

Benefits

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!)