Principal Software Engineer, Cash Line
$195k - $270k USD
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
Cash Line is Upstart’s new always on revolving credit product designed to expand access to responsible, fairly priced credit. Instead of a traditional rewards driven credit card model, Cash Line rethinks how credit is structured and priced, using AI driven underwriting to better separate risk and reduce the need for cross subsidized rewards.
We are a small, senior engineering team operating like a startup inside Upstart. The team owns the product end to end, from consumer facing experiences in the mobile app to the backend systems that power underwriting, pricing, servicing, and capital markets integrations.
This is a high ownership environment. The codebase is new. The architecture is still being shaped. You will work closely with product, growth, finance, compliance, and capital markets partners to build a category defining credit experience.
We are building with generative AI as a core capability from day one, both in the customer experience and in how we build and operate the product internally.
How you’ll make an impact:
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Design and build the core backend systems that power a new revolving credit product used directly by consumers.
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Own distributed services that support underwriting, pricing, line management, transactions, and servicing with high reliability and observability.
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Translate complex product and economic requirements into scalable technical systems, balancing speed, risk, and long term maintainability.
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Partner closely with machine learning engineers and data teams to productionize models and integrate AI driven decisioning into real time user flows.
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Collaborate with mobile engineers to deliver seamless consumer facing features, ensuring backend systems are optimized for real world usage patterns.
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Work across the full lifecycle of credit, from consumer acquisition and onboarding through funding, servicing, and capital markets distribution.
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Shape foundational architectural decisions in a greenfield environment, while thoughtfully integrating with systems from Upstart’s mature lending platform.
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Contribute to a Gen AI first product strategy, helping define how generative AI enhances user experience, internal tooling, automation, and operational workflows.
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Raise the bar for engineering quality through strong API design, data modeling, observability, testing, and operational rigor.
Minimum Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 8 years of experience
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Strong experience designing distributed systems and event driven architectures, including real world handling of retries, idempotency, fault tolerance, and failure modes.
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Proficiency in an object oriented language such as Python, Java, Kotlin, C#, or Ruby, and experience building and maintaining APIs and service oriented architectures.
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Experience shipping consumer facing features end to end, with a strong understanding of latency, reliability, and user impact.
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Ability to work effectively in ambiguous, zero to one environments where requirements evolve quickly.
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Strong cross functional collaboration skills and comfort working closely with product, finance, compliance, and other business stakeholders.
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Active use of AI tools in engineering, with a forward-looking perspective on how AI is reshaping software development.
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Exceptional communication and collaboration skills; able to align teams and advocate for high-impact solutions across functions.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience in fintech, credit, payments, or other regulated financial systems.
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Familiarity with revolving credit, line management, transaction processing, or ledger based systems.
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Experience building systems that sit at the intersection of consumer products and capital markets infrastructure.
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Background working with ML driven pricing, underwriting, or risk systems.
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Hands on experience leveraging generative AI in product features or internal engineering workflows.
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Experience on small, high ownership teams where engineers are responsible for architecture, implementation, and operational excellence.
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Passion for building products that expand access to credit and improve financial outcomes for underserved consumers.
Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote, San Mateo, Columbus, Austin
Time Zone Requirements - This team operates across all U.S. time zones.
Travel Requirements - This team has regular on-site collaboration sessions. These occur 3 days per quarter at an Upstart office. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.
#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
$195,300—$270,400 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
- 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 candidate_accommodations@upstart.com