About Upstart
At Upstart, we are driven by a mission to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Our innovative approach leverages advanced artificial intelligence, creativity, and experimentation to reshape access to credit, empowering millions of individuals to move forward financially with clarity and confidence. As the leading AI-powered lending marketplace, we collaborate with banks and credit unions to expand the availability of affordable credit through technology that is both highly intelligent and deeply human-centric. Our platform performs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1,800 signals, enabling smarter and fairer decision-making processes for millions of customers. Beyond the impressive numbers, our work has a profound impact on people's lives, ensuring that credit never becomes a barrier to their financial progress.
We operate as a digital-first organization, offering our team members the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the United States or Canada. Despite our virtual approach, we prioritize in-person connections through team onsite events, planning sessions, and creative gatherings to foster trust and collaboration. Our offices are located in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, and New York City (opening Summer 2026), providing additional options for those who prefer in-person work. At Upstart, we value meaningful work, innovation with purpose, and a collaborative environment where every voice contributes to our shared mission.
About The Role
We are seeking a highly skilled Staff Data Scientist to join our Personal Loans Underwriting and Credit Analytics team. In this role, you will own the monitoring and performance analytics of Upstart’s core underwriting models and credit portfolio. Your insights will be instrumental in shaping data-driven decisions at the executive level, providing regular visibility into model performance and portfolio health. You will lead the development and execution of automated reporting frameworks, monitor model behavior across various risk segments and macroeconomic conditions, and proactively identify emerging trends or anomalies. Your analytical rigor and investigative curiosity will enable you to diagnose unexpected outcomes, quantify business impacts, and recommend actionable solutions.
This position offers an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the company’s core operations by ensuring our machine learning models perform optimally and adapt to changing market conditions. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, communicate complex analytical findings clearly, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. The role is ideal for someone passionate about deep analytics, statistical techniques, and applying causal reasoning to real-world problems in a production environment.
Qualifications
We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
At Upstart, we are driven by a mission to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Our innovative approach leverages advanced artificial intelligence, creativity, and experimentation to reshape access to credit, empowering millions of individuals to move forward financially with clarity and confidence. As the leading AI-powered lending marketplace, we collaborate with banks and credit unions to expand the availability of affordable credit through technology that is both highly intelligent and deeply human-centric. Our platform performs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1,800 signals, enabling smarter and fairer decision-making processes for millions of customers. Beyond the impressive numbers, our work has a profound impact on people's lives, ensuring that credit never becomes a barrier to their financial progress.
We operate as a digital-first organization, offering our team members the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere within the United States or Canada. Despite our virtual approach, we prioritize in-person connections through team onsite events, planning sessions, and creative gatherings to foster trust and collaboration. Our offices are located in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, and New York City (opening Summer 2026), providing additional options for those who prefer in-person work. At Upstart, we value meaningful work, innovation with purpose, and a collaborative environment where every voice contributes to our shared mission.
About The Role
We are seeking a highly skilled Staff Data Scientist to join our Personal Loans Underwriting and Credit Analytics team. In this role, you will own the monitoring and performance analytics of Upstart’s core underwriting models and credit portfolio. Your insights will be instrumental in shaping data-driven decisions at the executive level, providing regular visibility into model performance and portfolio health. You will lead the development and execution of automated reporting frameworks, monitor model behavior across various risk segments and macroeconomic conditions, and proactively identify emerging trends or anomalies. Your analytical rigor and investigative curiosity will enable you to diagnose unexpected outcomes, quantify business impacts, and recommend actionable solutions.
This position offers an opportunity to make a tangible impact on the company’s core operations by ensuring our machine learning models perform optimally and adapt to changing market conditions. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, communicate complex analytical findings clearly, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. The role is ideal for someone passionate about deep analytics, statistical techniques, and applying causal reasoning to real-world problems in a production environment.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Finance, Operations Research, Physics, or a related quantitative field
- 6+ years of experience in analytics, data science, or a similar quantitative discipline
- Proficiency in Python (Pandas, Numpy) and SQL
- Strong analytical and first-principles thinking skills
- Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration abilities
- Experience working with production machine learning systems or underwriting models (preferred)
- Experience in consumer finance, credit risk, or lending analytics (preferred)
- PhD in a relevant field (preferred)
- Lead end-to-end monitoring of underwriting model performance, ensuring models behave as expected across various risk segments and macroeconomic conditions
- Translate model metrics into clear business implications and communicate findings to stakeholders
- Detect shifts in approval rates, loss performance, borrower behavior, or model predictions; investigate drivers of change and assess their impact
- Apply statistical techniques to evaluate A/B tests, model launches, and natural experiments, providing data-backed recommendations
- Develop and maintain automated reporting and monitoring frameworks to ensure timely visibility into model health and performance
- Proactively identify emerging trends or issues within the credit portfolio and recommend corrective actions
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve model robustness and adapt to evolving market conditions
- Present insights and analytical findings to senior leadership, influencing strategic decision-making
- Competitive base salary with bonus opportunities and quarterly vesting of equity grants
- Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock options
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with Upstart covering 90% to 100% of costs depending on the plan
- Health Savings Account contributions for eligible plans
- Income protection benefits, including company-paid Life, AD&D, and Disability coverage, with options for supplemental coverage
- Paid time off, sick leave, safe time, and holidays
- Paid family and parental leave to support work-life balance
- Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving
- Mental health and life resources via Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Financial wellness tools and personalized planning resources
- Annual wellness and productivity allowances to support personal growth and work essentials
- Engagement through team events, onsite gatherings, and employee resource groups
- Access to fully stocked offices with amenities like catered lunches when working onsite
We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.