Software Engineer, Verifications Platform

Summary

Upstart is an AI lending marketplace focused on reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing through technology. The Software Engineer II will design and build backend services for automated verification workflows, financial data integrations, and approval decisioning, while collaborating with Machine Learning, Product, Risk, Fraud, and Compliance teams to improve platform scalability, reliability, and auditability.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain scalable backend services that power automated verification workflows, financial data integrations, and approval decisioning
• Develop distributed systems, APIs, and event-driven services that improve the scalability, reliability, and reuse of verification capabilities across multiple lending products
• Build platform capabilities that enable reusable financial data connections, streamline connection lifecycle management, and reduce operational overhead for internal engineering teams
• Partner with Machine Learning, Product, Risk, Fraud, and Compliance teams to integrate data, decisioning logic, and risk models into production systems while maintaining correctness and auditability
• Improve system reliability through comprehensive testing, monitoring, observability, and operational best practices for business-critical services
• Contribute to the evolution of the verification platform by improving architecture, engineering standards, and shared infrastructure that accelerates product development across Upstart

Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) and 3+ years of professional software engineering experience
• 3+ years of experience developing backend applications using Kotlin, Java, or another object-oriented programming language
• Experience designing, building, and operating distributed systems, including service-to-service APIs and event-driven architectures
• Experience building and maintaining scalable backend services that process business-critical or financial data in production environments
• Experience contributing to decision engines that integrate with machine learning models to evaluate signals
• Experience writing production-quality code supported by automated testing, monitoring, and observability practices
• Knowledge of financial services, lending, fraud prevention, identity verification, or other risk-sensitive systems
• Experience integrating third-party financial data providers or APIs such as Plaid or similar platforms
• Experience building rule engines, workflow orchestration platforms, or automated decisioning systems
• Knowledge of how machine learning models are integrated, monitored, and evaluated within production systems
• Experience building reusable platform services or shared infrastructure supporting multiple engineering teams

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience) and 3+ years of professional software engineering experience
• 3+ years of experience developing backend applications using Kotlin, Java, or another object-oriented programming language
• Experience designing, building, and operating distributed systems, including service-to-service APIs and event-driven architectures
• Experience building and maintaining scalable backend services that process business-critical or financial data in production environments
• Experience contributing to decision engines that integrate with machine learning models to evaluate signals
• Experience writing production-quality code supported by automated testing, monitoring, and observability practices

Nice to Haves

• Knowledge of financial services, lending, fraud prevention, identity verification, or other risk-sensitive systems
• Experience integrating third-party financial data providers or APIs such as Plaid or similar platforms
• Experience building rule engines, workflow orchestration platforms, or automated decisioning systems
• Knowledge of how machine learning models are integrated, monitored, and evaluated within production systems
• Experience building reusable platform services or shared infrastructure supporting multiple engineering teams

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including bonus opportunities and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
• Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
• Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
• Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
• Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
• 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 (US Only)
• 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, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!)
• Flexible work through Upstart's digital-first philosophy, allowing most employees to work remotely or from an office