Senior Software Engineer, Identity Platform

About Upstart

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 3,000 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, 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:

At Upstart, the Identity and Experimentation Platform Team plays a pivotal role in shaping the security and accessibility of our cutting-edge lending products, including Personal Loans, Auto Loans, and Home Loans. We are responsible for creating, securing, and managing borrower and partner identities, ensuring a seamless and secure experience at every touchpoint. As part of our team, you’ll work on the Authentication, Authorization and Experimentation Platform, driving both backend security and frontend user experiences.

Our mission is to enable frictionless, secure authentication while safeguarding sensitive data from unauthorized access.If you’re passionate about building scalable security solutions and delivering intuitive user experiences, come be a part of a team that makes financial access more accessible, safer, smarter, and seamless for everyone!

As a Senior Software Engineer on Upstart’s Identity Platform Team, you’ll play a critical role in building and securing our authentication, authorization and experimentation systems. You will be responsible for ensuring that borrowers and partners experience a seamless, secure, and scalable identity framework across our lending products, including Personal Loans, Auto Loans, and Home Loans.You’ll work closely with vertical Engineering, Product, and Security teams to develop and experiment solutions that enhance security, improve

authentication flows, and drive innovation in Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Experimentation spaces. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving complex technical challenges, values clean and scalable architecture, and is eager to make a significant impact on a high-visibility platform.

How you’ll make an impact

Design, develop, and optimize secure and scalable authentication and authorization systems.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve Identity and Access Management (IAM) capabilities, including OAuth, OpenID Connect, MFA, and SSO.

Partner with Security teams to enhance security policies and standards, ensuring protection against threats and unauthorized access.

Improve Experimentation platform and Lifecycle across the Upstart Network Inc Products.

Drive best engineering practices for clean, maintainable, and efficient code.

Participate in architectural discussions, helping to shape the long-term vision of Identity Platform.

Mentor and collaborate with other engineers to elevate the team’s technical skills and knowledge.

Work on high impact initiatives that solve for making credit accessible to everyone.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 4 years of experience
• Strong proficiency in backend technologies (e.g., Kotlin, Java, Ruby, C#).
• Hands-on experience with authentication and authorization protocols (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML).
• Experience building scalable APIs using containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.
• Understanding of security principles, including encryption, token-based authentication, and identity federation.
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, with an emphasis on performance optimization.
• Ability to balance the needs of the business with engineering best practices and security considerations.
• Passion for clean code, architecture, and continuous improvement of engineering processes.
• Experience with AI Coding tools such as Cursor, Claude Code etc.
• Excellent communication skills – able to translate complex technical concepts for a variety of stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with IAM platforms and security services.
• Knowledge of A/B testing, gRPC, and DevOps practices.
• Experience with Keycloak, NextJS, and Ruby is a plus.
• Proven ability to influence technical direction without direct authority.
• Strong product and analytical mindset, capable of making trade-offs between risk, ROI, and performance.
• Experience working at companies experiencing rapid growth and scaling challenges.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the quality and timely delivery of work
• Ability to influence and lead without direct authority
• Position location
• This role is available in the following locations: Remote
• Travel requirements
• As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package.  The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

$166,900 — $230,900 USD

At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package.  The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).

Canada | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

$153,000 — $190,000 USD

What you'll love

At Upstart, our benefits are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:

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

For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email candidate_accommodations@upstart.com https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy