Upstart: Principal Software Engineer, New Product

remote-job.net Job Summary: Salary: 173,000–239,475 Weekly working hours: Full-time Recommended experience: Senior Recommended education: Not specified Industry: FinTech Key Responsibilities: Define the architecture and technical direction for core backend systems. Build and scale distributed, event-driven services. Drive zero-to-one product development with cross-functional teams. Key Requirements: 8+ years of experience with production backend systems. Expertise in distributed systems and event-driven architectures. Solid knowledge of an object-oriented language as well as APIs and databases. About the company Upstart is a leading AI-based credit marketplace that partners with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. Upstart enables higher approval rates and lower default rates across different demographics while providing a digital, customer-focused lending experience. The company is digital-first with distributed teams in the United States and offices in San Mateo (CA), Columbus (OH), Austin (TX), and New York City (NY). Responsibilities Define the technical direction and architecture for the core backend systems of a new consumer credit product. Develop distributed, event-driven services that are reliable, observable, and scalable. Advance zero-to-one product development, working closely with cross-functional partners. Promote engineering velocity and quality through patterns, practices, and tools across the stack. Leverage AI-native approaches and integrate AI tools into development processes. Act as a technical mentor and thought leader in a high-performing team. Influence product decisions through technical insights and user empathy. Requirements At least 8 years of experience in designing and building production backend systems, with a focus on consumer-scale applications. Deep expertise in distributed systems and event-driven architectures (e.g., Kafka, Kinesis, SQS); experience with idempotency, retries, and fault tolerance. Proficient in object-oriented programming languages (e.g., Java, Kotlin, C#, Python, Ruby) as well as APIs, databases, and caching systems. Proven track record of leading complex zero-to-one development in uncertain or rapidly changing environments. Experience with observability and operational excellence (metrics, logs, traces, alerting). Active use of AI tools in engineering and a keen interest in AI-native software development. Strong communication and collaboration skills. Preferred: Experience in B2C FinTech, payments/credit/transactional systems, schema management (Protobuf/Avro), and setting architectural direction. Benefits Competitive compensation (base pay + bonus & equity) Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with HSA contributions Generous 401(k) plan with matching (2:1 up to $15,000/year) Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) Life and disability insurance Generous vacation, holiday, sick, and safe leave policies Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs Annual reimbursements for wellness, technology & ergonomics Social activities, team events, office on-sites, ERGs, and interest groups Catered lunches, snacks & beverages in offices