Senior Software Engineer, Distribution Platform

Upstart•San Mateo, CA

3d•Remote

About The Position

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; Austin, Texas; and New York City, NY (opening Summer 2026). 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 Upstart's Distribution Platform team is developing innovative solutions and strategies that drive efficient and scalable marketing outreach, empowering us to effectively engage with our users while having a direct impact on Upstart's mission and growth. The team is responsible for some of our highest value distribution channels including digital ads, direct mail, and partner integrations. Our goal is to build an intelligent, unified system that learns, automates, and scales how Upstart engages with our customers on these channels. As a Senior Software Engineer on the Distribution Platform team, you will play a key role in designing and building the systems that intelligently connect our marketing efforts to the right users at the right time. You’ll drive development of scalable, resilient platform capabilities that power Upstart’s owned marketing channels including digital ads, direct mail, and partner integrations. Collaborating closely with cross-functional partners in Analytics, Marketing, Machine Learning, and Product, you’ll help shape the technical strategy and execution that enables more personalized, data-driven outreach and directly advances Upstart’s growth and mission.

Requirements

7+ years of professional software development experience
Strong proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Ruby, Java, Kotlin, Python, or Javascript
Experience building scalable APIs and microservices in a cloud-based environment (e.g., AWS, GCP).
Proven ability to lead projects involving multiple engineers or stakeholders overextended timelines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work in a distributed team.

Nice To Haves

Experience building systems that integrate with 3rd parties or manage large scale data flows
Experience with SQL, data warehouses, or other database technologies
Professional experience with digital advertising platforms like Google Ads or Meta Ads
Professional experience working with Ruby on Rails and/or Kotlin
Experience or interest in working with React, typescript, or front end technologies
Experience working with marketing technology or growth engineering

Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of scalable systems that deliver marketing content across key outbound channels.
Partner with machine learning, analytics, and marketing stakeholders to optimize targeting and improve customer engagement.
Own projects from ideation to launch guiding architecture, implementation, and operational readiness.
Drive platform reliability and evolve internal tools that enable experimentation, automation, and performance insights.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to growing a culture of technical excellence and cross-functional collaboration.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
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