Senior Manager, Machine Learning

Upstart

1d•Remote

About The Position

Upstart is seeking an exceptional, hands-on Machine Learning Manager to join its Core ML organization's leadership group. This role is designed for a generalist ML leader who can adapt to different business areas. The manager will lead a small, nimble team of individual contributors (Research Scientists, Data Scientists, or Machine Learning Engineers) and will have a roughly 50/50 split between technical execution and management. The position involves acting as the definitive ML owner for a product space, driving 0→1 and scaling ML efforts, translating models to business impact, and leading strategic initiatives. The role requires a player-coach approach, with significant time spent on direct technical contributions, code reviews, and understanding model nuances. Depending on team placement, responsibilities may include building new capabilities from scratch or optimizing mature models in dynamic environments. The company is digital-first, offering flexibility in work location, with options for remote work or in-office collaboration in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City.

Requirements

6+ years of experience developing and deploying machine learning models in production with direct business impact.
Proven track record of leading high-impact ML initiatives from research through productionization.
Advanced degree in a quantitative field (e.g., computer science, statistics, economics, operations research, etc).
Strong technical judgment and ability to dive deep into model design, data analysis, and evaluation.
Keen statistical, economic and business intuition, and comfort with reasoning under uncertainty and data limitations.
Knowledge of production ML, ability to adapt to new tech stacks and get in the weeds of work output from the team.
Excited and able to make direct technical contributions when needed.
Exceptional leadership skills with experience developing teams of highly technical ML scientists.
Strong project management skills with experience scaling processes and operational workflows.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Computer Science, Statistics, Economics or a related field.
Proven success building and scaling new ML products from inception.
Familiarity with lending, lines of credit, or other consumer finance products.
Hands-on familiarity with end-to-end ML infrastructure, including experimentation pipelines, feature stores, and model monitoring.
Ability to uplevel team’s engineering practices and drive cross-functional engineering design.

Responsibilities

Act as a Player-Coach: Dive deep into the data and code, making direct technical contributions, reviewing code/PRs, and understanding the mathematical nuances of the team's models.
Lead Strategic Initiatives: Take ownership of a specific product area and serve as the de facto ML leader in cross-functional strategy meetings.
Drive 0→1 and Scaling ML Efforts: Build out entirely new capabilities from scratch or optimize highly mature models dealing with massive scale and shifting macro-economic regimes.
Translate Models to Business Impact: Design and refine decision engines that translate model predictions into accurate, transparent, and customer-friendly lending outcomes.
Attract, mentor, and grow a top-tier team of ML scientists passionate about expanding access to credit.
Influence and collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Capital Markets, and other teams.
Manage project timelines and scale processes and operational workflows.

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!)