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 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:
Upstart’s Technical Program Manager team is responsible for driving execution of the company’s most critical engineering initiatives. The TPMs operate at the intersection of product and engineering, delivering complex business outcomes that span multiple teams and systems. Current focus areas include 1/ improving engineering velocity through platformization and reducing system complexity, 2/ strengthening org-wide operational excellence, and 3/ increasing Upstart’s ML advantage by streamlining data evaluation and productization.
As a Principal TPM at Upstart, you will operate as a force-multiplier in ambiguous problem spaces by bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to initiatives that would otherwise stall. Successful TPMs demonstrate a relentless sense of ownership over outcomes and can flex both strong technical and product judgement. In addition to delivering programs, you will shape how the organization executes at scale by influencing how we plan, prioritize, and deliver work.
How you’ll make an impact
- Own system-level outcomes, ensuring initiatives deliver measurable business value instead of just ticking off feature completion checkboxes
- Bring clarity to ambiguity by aligning goals, defining milestones, translating high-level designs into actionable implementation details, and ensuring cross-team dependencies are clearly understood
- Proactively identify and mitigate critical risks early to de-risk delivery before failure happens
- Drive critical decisions by surfacing tradeoffs, clarifying priorities, and aligning stakeholders on a path forward
- Create and maintain a single, trusted view of program health to provide stakeholders at all levels with insights into progress, risks, and changes
- Partner with engineering and product leaders to balance feature delivery with long-term system scalability, reliability, and maintainability
Minimum Qualifications
- BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- 8+ years of technical program management, product management or related experience in a software engineering environment
- Experience leading large-scale, cross-functional programs spanning multiple engineering teams and systems
- Experience leading complex technical initiatives from concept through launch, including defining scope, success metrics, and execution strategy
- Experience working on distributed systems, service-oriented architectures, and system design at scale
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong judgment and prioritization skills; able to navigate trade-offs with confidence and clarity across both technical and business domains.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to explain complex technical topics to diverse audiences
- Track record of driving adoption of new processes, tools, or engineering standards across entire organizations
- Proven ability to influence senior and executive stakeholders on ambiguous, high-impact initiatives
- Experience increasing engineering velocity by driving improvements in tooling, automation, or AI-based solutions
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 or Canada (outside of Quebec) but are expected to spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites and in-person meetings. The onsite cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.
#LI-REMOTE
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).
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
- Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees
- Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage, with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans
- Income protection benefits, including company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, and Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage, with options to purchase supplemental coverage
- Paid time off, sick and safe time, and company holidays
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
- Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving
- 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
- 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 and onsites, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our four offices, located in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).
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 [email protected]
https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy
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