Upstart · 2 days ago
Staff Applied Machine Learning Engineer, LLMs
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$178K/yr - $247K/yr
6+ years expUpstart is a leading AI lending marketplace dedicated to reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. The Staff Applied Machine Learning Engineer will design and build user-facing ML features leveraging large language models and generative AI, collaborating with various teams to enhance product capabilities and user experience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)AutomotiveConsumer LendingCreditFinancial ServicesFinTechLendingMachine LearningPersonal Finance
Responsibilities
Design and build user-facing ML features that harness LLMs and generative AI to unlock new product capabilities
Partner with product, design, and ML research to prototype and deliver high-impact, ML-powered experiences
Own the technical architecture and implementation strategy for applied ML systems - balancing latency, observability, and iteration speed
Build scalable services and APIs that bring model outputs to users in trustworthy and intuitive ways
Collaborate across platform, infra, and legal/compliance teams to ensure ML deployments meet standards for safety, fairness, and performance
Establish and evangelize best practices for prompt design, model evaluation, and experimentation across the org
Qualification
Required
6+ years of software engineering experience, with 2+ years working directly on ML-driven products or intelligent systems
Proven ability to lead complex initiatives across engineering, product, and research stakeholders
Strong backend development skills (e.g., Python with FastAPI or Flask), plus experience with cloud-native tooling (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform)
Experience integrating LLMs or ML models into production systems, including APIs and user-facing applications
Excellent communication skills and a collaborative, product-minded approach
Ability to think rigorously about system design, latency tradeoffs, and user impact when working with ML features
Preferred
Experience shipping GenAI or LLM-powered features using frameworks like LangChain, LlamaIndex, or OpenAI APIs
Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), vector search (e.g., FAISS, Pinecone), and real-time inference patterns
Proficiency in full-stack development, including front-end work with React or similar frameworks
Strong intuition for prompt engineering, model testing, and evaluation methodologies
Experience navigating complex requirements around explainability, user trust, or compliance in ML applications
Track record of influencing architecture or product direction at a team or org level
Benefits
Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 per year
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees
Affordable medical, dental, and vision coverage, with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans
Income protection benefits, including company-paid Basic Life, AD&D, and Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage, with options to purchase supplemental coverage
Paid time off, sick and safe time, and company holidays
Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo, supporting fertility, parenthood, and caregiving
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
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 and onsites, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our four offices, located in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!)
Company
Upstart
Upstart (NASDAQ: UPST) is a leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Upstart has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (68)
2024 (67)
2023 (85)
2022 (85)
2021 (42)
2020 (15)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$3.36BKey Investors
CastlelakeProgressiveRakuten
2025-11-06Post Ipo Debt· $1.5B
2025-09-05Post Ipo Debt· $320M
2025-08-12Post Ipo Debt· $600M
Leadership Team
Dave Girouard
Founder & CEO
Paul Gu
Co-Founder
Recent News
The Motley Fool
2026-01-23
Business Wire
2026-01-22
The Motley Fool
2026-01-03
Company data provided by crunchbase