Director of Engineering, Upstart Bank

Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace focused on reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing. The Director of Engineering for Upstart Bank will build and lead the engineering organization responsible for core banking platforms, defining technical strategy and ensuring reliable infrastructure for a modern banking experience.

Responsibilities:

• Build the Upstart Bank engineering organization from an initial seed team into a scaled, high-performing domain with multiple teams and managers
• Define and drive the technical strategy and architecture for core bank platforms, including ledgering and funding, deposits and payments, marketplace integrations, and reporting
• Set the organization design, hiring strategy, and leadership bench needed to scale the Upstart Bank engineering org
• Partner with Product and cross-functional leaders to translate business, regulatory, and operational priorities into engineering architecture, sequencing, and delivery
• Own delivery across critical bank platform domains, ensuring teams execute predictably and deliver reliable, scalable, high-quality infrastructure
• Establish engineering standards and operating mechanisms that support reliability, resilience, security, traceability, and auditability
• Lead cross-functional execution across complex dependencies with Compliance, Legal, Risk, Finance, and Operations
• Build systems and processes that support internal controls, audits, and high-confidence operation in a regulated environment
• Develop engineering leaders and foster a culture of high standards, ownership, and continuous improvement

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent) + 10 years of experience, including at least 5 years of direct people management experience
• Experience building and scaling engineering organizations, including hiring and developing teams through periods of rapid growth or organizational formation
• Strong technical background with a track record of setting architecture and technical direction for complex distributed systems and cloud platforms
• Experience leading engineering in regulated or high-control environments where reliability, controls, auditability, and change management are critical
• Experience partnering with senior cross-functional and executive stakeholders on business-critical platforms
• Experience building core financial infrastructure such as ledgering, payments, deposits, funding systems, reporting, or financial integrations
• Experience in banking, fintech, payments, or other regulated financial systems
• Experience building platforms that support internal controls, audits, and reliable operation in regulated environments
• Experience leading platform modernization, core-system launches, or major infrastructure transformations
• Demonstrated ability to attract and develop strong technical talent in competitive hiring markets
• Interest in improving access to credit through technology and scalable financial infrastructure