About Upstart 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; 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: At Upstart, our mission is to expand access to credit using advanced machine learning models that better evaluate true risk. As part of this, our teams focus on developing models across various verticals, including Growth marketing, Auto Loans, and Personal Loans Underwriting. These teams are critical to the success of Upstart, directly impacting our customer acquisition efforts and revenue generation through predictive modeling, innovative algorithms, and cross-functional collaboration. Our Machine Learning (ML) Teams work on creating and deploying production models that power key aspects of Upstart’s business: Growth: Models that predict conversion probabilities and prioritize high-potential prospects for outbound marketing. Auto Loans: Models that underwrite all auto loans, assessing true borrower risk based on innovative features and methodologies. Personal Loan Underwriting: Models that evaluate every applicant’s risk, having a direct impact on Upstart’s core business. As a Research Scientist, you will have the opportunity to work in one of these highly specialized teams, contributing to the development and deployment of business-critical models, optimizing marketing strategies, underwriting processes, and enhancing business metrics. The Role: Research and develop new machine learning models to enhance the accuracy of predictions in borrower risk, marketing conversions, or underwriting processes. Design, prototype, and deploy models to production, ensuring robust and scalable implementations. Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, product managers, and marketing specialists to experiment with and optimize models for business outcomes. Evaluate the performance of models, interpret their impact on business metrics, and present actionable insights to stakeholders. Continuously explore novel algorithms and methodologies to keep Upstart’s ML systems at the cutting edge of technology. Mentor junior team members and contribute to the development of a high-quality, production-ready codebase.