Senior HELOC Underwriter, Specialized Credit Decisioning & Strategy

Upstart•Columbus, OH

38d•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: The Exception & Escalation Underwriting team partners closely with Home Lending Underwriting, Processing Operations, and Closing to resolve complex HELOC scenarios that fall outside standard decision paths. This function provides second-level credit decision support, applies documented exception authority, and drives fast, defensible resolutions for time-sensitive escalations. The team also plays a key role in improving operational consistency by partnering with Credit Policy, Quality, Legal & Compliance, and Closing/Title to ensure exception decisions are executable through clear-to-close and funding.

Requirements

5+ years residential mortgage underwriting experience with independent credit decision ownership
Direct Exceptions & Escalations underwriting experience (e.g., escalation desk/queue, second-level review, exception authority role)
HELOC underwriting experience, including lien position/lien documentation, CLTV/HCLTV, property/occupancy, and income/asset evaluation
Proven experience partnering with Closing/Title to set executable conditions and resolve underwriting-to-close issues through clear-to-close and/or funding
Strong written documentation skills (clear rationale, conditions, supporting evidence) appropriate for QA/audit review
Demonstrated data analytics capability to evaluate trends, quantify impact, and make process improvement recommendations (e.g., Excel/Sheets analysis, dashboards, root-cause analysis)

Nice To Haves

Experience partnering with Legal & Compliance on policy interpretation and exception decisions
Proficiency with SQL and/or BI tools (e.g., Looker/Tableau) and comfort working with operational datasets
Experience contributing to workflow improvements (playbooks, decision trees, control enhancements, system triggers) that reduce rework or cycle time
Familiarity with digital mortgage workflows and case management/LOS tooling

Responsibilities

Own exceptions & escalations: Independently resolve complex HELOC exception and escalation cases (income/asset nuance, liens, layered risk, occupancy/property considerations) within delegated authority and policy intent.
Underwriting-to-close partnership: Partner directly with Closing/Title to resolve closing blockers by making timely decisions within authority—and when needed, partnering with Underwriting leadership and Legal & Compliance to reach policy-aligned resolutions that keep files on track for on-time funding.
Audit-ready documentation: Deliver clear, defensible rationale and executable conditions (complete notes, evidence, and requirements) that reduce downstream churn and withstand QA/audit scrutiny.
Data-driven improvement: Analyze exception/escalation and closing outcomes to identify recurring friction points (rework drivers, cycle-time bottlenecks, defect themes) and translate insights into process, policy, or workflow recommendations.
Enablement & consistency: Contribute to calibration, edge-case guidance, and playbooks that improve decision consistency and reduce repeat escalations.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
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