Software Engineer, Merchandising

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. 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!

Merchandising’s mission is to build a coordinated, adaptive system that deepens engagement, supports customer financial health, and compounds value for users over time. Our team helps users take their next best financial step through intelligent, data‑driven experiences that create long‑term value through relevance, efficiency, and trust.

The Merchandising team is responsible for our top‑of‑funnel experiences, such as our homepage and product landing pages, as well as critical logged‑in experiences including My Account. As an engineer on our team you will be tasked with implementing new product functionality, creating and running experiments, addressing technical issues, and helping architect solutions that scale.

As a Software Engineer on Merchandising, you’ll work with stakeholders to deliver high‑quality features within our products and learn to take increasing ownership of your deliverables. In your first year, you will:

• Build product features that encourage users to engage with our offerings more frequently and consistently.
• Contribute to full‑stack tasks. Ship front‑end work in React/Next.js and backend endpoints, ensuring your code is tested, documented, and reviewed.
• Resolve bugs and production issues. Learn to debug common issues in your feature space, follow runbooks, and participate in on‑call rotations with mentorship.
• Drive small enhancements. Identify opportunities to improve code quality or developer workflows (e.g., add tests, improve logging) and propose changes.
• Communicate effectively. Ask clarifying questions, share progress in stand‑ups, and solicit feedback in design and code reviews.

• Minimum requirements:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
  • 3+ years of professional software development experience.
  • Familiarity in at least one backend language (Kotlin, Java, or Ruby).
  • Familiarity with modern JavaScript frameworks such as React/Next.js & Frontend development.
  • Familiarity with SQL databases and domain modeling.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to represent technical work in cross‑functional settings.
• Preferred qualifications:
  • Internship or bootcamp experience at a software company, demonstrating end‑to‑end project contributions.
  • Exposure to cloud‑native environments (AWS) and messaging systems (Kafka).
  • Basic understanding of API design and microservices principles.
  • Familiarity with automated testing frameworks and continuous integration workflows.
  • Interest in platform engineering and passion for building internal tools and libraries.
  • Demonstrated ownership of small‑scale projects, from requirement gathering through to deployment and monitoring.

This role is available in the following locations:
Remote, San Mateo, Columbus, Austin.

This team operates across all U.S. time zones.

This team has regular on‑site collaboration sessions. These occur 3 days per quarter at an Upstart office. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions…