Set technical direction and lead architectural design for core backend systems that power a new consumer credit product.
Build distributed, event-driven services that are reliable, observable, and scalable—designed for long-term evolution.
Drive zero-to-one product development in collaboration with cross-functional partners, translating ambiguous product goals into high-impact solutions.
Champion engineering velocity and quality by shaping patterns, practices, and tooling across the stack.
Lead with an AI-native mindset—leveraging and integrating AI tools to improve development workflows, reduce friction, and accelerate impact.
Serve as a technical mentor and thought leader within a high-performing, fast-moving team.
Influence product direction through technical insights, customer empathy, and an ability to balance tradeoffs between speed, scale, and quality.

Requirements

8+ years of experience designing and building backend systems in production, with a focus on consumer-scale applications.
Deep expertise in distributed systems and event-driven architectures (Kafka, Kinesis, SQS, etc.), including experience with idempotency, retries, and fault tolerance.
Strong command of an object-oriented programming language (e.g., Java, Kotlin, C#, Python, Ruby), along with experience working with APIs, databases, and caching systems.
Proven success leading complex, zero-to-one product development in ambiguous or fast-changing environments.
Demonstrated ability to influence product strategy through technical leadership and user-centric thinking.
Track record of building with observability and operational excellence in mind (metrics, logs, traces, alerting, etc.).
Active use of AI tools in engineering, with a forward-looking perspective on how AI is reshaping software development.
Exceptional communication and collaboration skills; able to align teams and advocate for high-impact solutions across functions.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
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

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard skills

backend systemsdistributed systemsevent-driven architecturesobject-oriented programmingJavaKotlinC#PythonRubyAPIs

Soft skills

technical leadershipcommunicationcollaborationcustomer empathyinfluencing product strategymentorshipproblem-solvingadaptabilityteam alignmentuser-centric thinking