Upstart is looking to solve the problem of expanding access to affordable credit by leveraging AI lending marketplace, and the Principal Software Engineer role is expected to provide technical leadership to shape the vision, architecture, and adoption strategy for the new GenAI platform.
Requirements
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 3 years leading large-scale, cross-team technical initiatives
- Proven track record of delivering complex, distributed systems and platform infrastructure that span multiple teams
- Deep expertise in backend systems and infrastructure technologies such as Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, and cloud-native architectures
- Experience designing and operationalizing ML/LLM platforms at scale, including optimization for cost, latency, and reliability
- Full-stack engineering experience (Python, FastAPI, Kotlin, Spring, React/TypeScript, or similar)
- Expertise in LLM-specific infrastructure such as inference optimization (quantization, ONNX, streaming), retrieval-augmented generation, and vector databases
- Hands-on experience with LLM toolchains such as LangChain, LlamaIndex, or OpenAI APIs
Responsibilities
- Define and drive the multi-year technical roadmap for the Core GenAI Platform, influencing adoption and alignment across several engineering teams
- Lead architecture and design of large-scale, mission-critical systems for model inference, orchestration, and compliance
- Identify and solve systemic technical risks that impact multiple teams and business-critical AI initiatives
- Build high-leverage, generalizable platform components that meaningfully accelerate the productivity of engineers across Upstart
- Mentor senior engineers (L5) and shape the growth of future technical leaders, fostering a culture of learning and excellence
- Collaborate with VP-level and above leadership to influence business strategy with technical insight
- Establish operational standards for GenAI integrations, ensuring security, fairness, and reliability at scale
Other
- Excellent communication skills with a history of driving alignment across engineering and business stakeholders
- Demonstrated ability to set long-term technical direction and influence organizational strategy
- Recognized as a technical leader beyond your immediate team, influencing platform strategy across organizations
- Awareness of industry best practices and risks in GenAI including hallucination mitigation, fairness, explainability, and data privacy
- Experience mentoring senior engineers and shaping organizational standards for operational excellence
