> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/203330-principal-software-engineer-personal-loans](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/203330-principal-software-engineer-personal-loans). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Software Engineer, Personal Loans - **Company:** Upstart - **Location:** United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $195,300.0 - $270,400.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** A/B Testing, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Cloud Computing, Distributed Systems, Github, Ruby on Rails, Service-Oriented Architecture, ReactJS, Information Technology, Data Analytics, Docker - **Published:** May 19, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=d00ac62be4f0ffbd ## About the Role If you're energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we'd love to hear from you., * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 8 years of experience * Proven experience operating at a Staff or Principal level, leading large, ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives * Deep expertise in distributed systems, service-oriented architectures, and system design at scale * Demonstrated experience decomposing or modernizing tightly coupled systems into modular components/services with clear interfaces, while maintaining reliability and continuity. * Experience with experiment-driven development (instrumentation, A/B testing, analysis/iteration) and translating product goals into technical execution. * Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to explain complex technical topics to non-technical stakeholders Track record of successfully mentoring and developing other engineers around you while seeking out and appreciating constructive feedback, * Experience with full stack web development with Ruby on Rails, React, and cloud-native development (AWS preferred) and Docker, GitHub Actions, utilizing CI/CD technologies including infrastructure as code * Familiarity with onboarding/funnel optimization in high-scale consumer products, including conversion and time-to-complete improvements. * Experience in the customer support tech domain (e.g., contact center platforms, customer engagement solutions, or conversational AI systems) * Experience building in regulated or high-trust domains (e.g., fintech, lending, identity/verification, payments) where correctness and compliance are first-class constraints. * We're a distributed team of remote workers (from coast to coast), and while we predominantly build asynchronously, we prefer facetime when collaborating in a tight feedback loop. You'll need to be comfortable with a few hours of Zoom per day (e.g. pair/mob programming) to excel in this role ## Description Personal Loans Engineering owns the applicant journey and experience as they move through the loan application and verification process. PL Engineering is a conversion- and revenue-critical part of Upstart's flagship product. The team brings single-threaded ownership to an experience that is aligning funnel outcomes and architectural evolution around one goal: maximizing originations while maintaining trust, risk integrity, and compliance. How You'll Make an Impact * Set technical direction for the applicant funnel Define and drive the architecture of the end-to-end "Got Rate * Funded Loan" journey * Identify and resolve systemic bottlenecks impacting conversion, latency, and reliability Lead large, cross-team initiatives * Own ambiguous, high-impact efforts that span Growth, Verifications Platform, Risk/Decisioning, and Lending Partners * Align multiple teams around cohesive technical strategies and execution plans Evolve platform architecture * Drive decomposition of tightly coupled systems into scalable, reusable services and APIs Enable cross-product reuse across unsecured lending while maintaining system integrity Translate complex business problems into systems * Balance product velocity, risk constraints, compliance requirements, and long-term maintainability Partner deeply with product, risk, compliance, and operations to deliver measurable business outcomes Drive experimentation and intelligent automation * Elevate experimentation frameworks and data-driven iteration across the funnel * Identify and lead opportunities for AI-driven experiences (e.g., adaptive flows, conversational interfaces, automation) Raise the engineering bar * Establish best practices in system design, observability, testing, and operational excellence * Mentor senior and staff engineers and influence engineering culture across the organization Operate as a force multiplier * Provide technical leadership beyond the team, influencing architecture and strategy across Personal Loans and adjacent domains * Proactively identify long-term risks and opportunities, and drive alignment with leadership ## Related Videos - [Watch Tests Go Brrrr! : Getting Started with Cypress in ReactJS](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/282-watch-tests-go-brrrr-getting-started-with-cypress-in-reactjs) - [Docker Compose: Rediscovered](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1978-docker-compose-rediscovered) - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [Agentic employees in world's most downloaded FinTech app](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100123-agentic-employees-in-world-s-most-downloaded-fintech-app) - [Docker build without Docker](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100114-docker-build-without-docker) - [Throwing off the burdens of scale in engineering](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/608-throwing-off-the-burdens-of-scale-in-engineering) ## Related Articles - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Navigating the AI Shift](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/629-navigating-the-ai-shift) - [Why Upskilling And Reskilling is Important For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/428-why-upskilling-and-reskilling-is-important-for-developers) - [How Much Does a Software Engineer Make? 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