Senior Software Engineer
The Team:
Upstart’s Identity team builds the systems that help borrowers and lending partners securely access and manage their accounts across Upstart products. The team works at the intersection of product and security, reducing friction in the customer experience while protecting identity and customer data.
As a Senior Software Engineer on the Identity team, you will build secure, reliable backend systems that power login, account management, authentication, and authorization experiences. You’ll own meaningful projects from design through delivery, partner across Product, Information Security, and Application Security, and help evolve how Upstart builds secure customer experiences at scale. This role is primarily backend focused; frontend experience is helpful but not required.
How you'll make an impact:
Design, build, and operate backend systems that power secure login, account management, authentication, and authorization experiences across Upstart products.
Own engineering projects from problem definition and technical design through implementation, testing, deployment, and ongoing improvement.
Balance security requirements with customer experience, making thoughtful technical decisions that protect customer data while reducing unnecessary friction.
Partner with Product, Information Security, Application Security, and engineering teams across Upstart to deliver secure capabilities and influence product direction.
Identify opportunities to improve the reliability, maintainability, and security of interconnected systems and help establish effective engineering practices across the Identity domain.
Use AI-assisted development tools such as Cursor and Claude Code to accelerate learning and delivery while applying engineering judgment and validating the resulting work.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, plus 4 years of software engineering experience.
Experience designing, building, testing, and maintaining production backend software or services.
Experience owning software engineering projects through multiple stages of the development lifecycle, from technical design through production delivery.
Experience designing or integrating APIs, services, or other components within distributed or interconnected production systems.
Experience applying software engineering practices including code review, automated testing, debugging, and production support.
Preferred Qualifications
Knowledge of identity and access management concepts and standards such as OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, or SAML.
Experience working in a medium-to-large engineering organization or with systems spanning multiple engineering teams.
Experience contributing to frontend development in addition to backend systems.
Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, or similar tools in software engineering workflows.
Ability to learn unfamiliar technical domains, communicate technical decisions and outcomes clearly, and develop deep expertise over time.
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.
#LI-REMOTE
#LI-MidSenior --> use for L5, L6
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—$242,400 USD