Sr Software Engineer, Identity

About Upstart

Upstart is the leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload.

Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.

Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you!

The Team:

At Upstart, the Identity 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 and Authorization 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 and authorization 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 solutions that enhance security, improve authentication flows, and drive innovation in Identity and Access Management (IAM). 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 platform scalability by designing and implementing microservice based architectures.
• 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

• 7+ years of experience developing large-scale distributed systems in the cloud (AWS, GCP, or Azure).
• 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 on-sites. 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.

What you'll love:

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• 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 on-sites, 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

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

$215,100—$237,700 USD

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together.

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