Senior Software Engineer, Identity Platform

About the role

The Identity and Experimentation Platform Team at Upstart is responsible for creating, securing, and managing borrower and partner identities. This role involves designing, developing, and optimizing secure and scalable authentication and authorization systems. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance Identity and Access Management (IAM) capabilities, including OAuth, OpenID Connect, MFA, and SSO. You will also partner with Security teams to enhance security policies and standards, ensuring protection against threats and unauthorized access.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize secure and scalable authentication and authorization systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve Identity and Access Management (IAM) capabilities, including OAuth, OpenID Connect, SAML, and MFA.
• Partner with Security teams to enhance security policies and standards, ensuring protection against threats and unauthorized access.
• Improve Experimentation platform and Lifecycle across the Upstart Network Inc Products.
• Drive best engineering practices for clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Participate in architectural discussions, helping to shape the long-term vision of Identity Platform.
• Mentor and collaborate with other engineers to elevate the team's technical skills and knowledge.
• Work on high impact initiatives that solve for making credit accessible to everyone.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or Mathematics, or a related field (or its equivalent)
• + 4 years of experience
• Strong proficiency in backend technologies (e.g., Kotlin, Java, Ruby, C#)
• Hands-on experience with authentication and authorization protocols (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, SAML)
• Experience building scalable APIs using containerization technologies like Docker and Kubernetes
• Understanding of security principles, including encryption, token-based authentication, and identity federation
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, with an emphasis on performance optimization
• Able to balance the needs of the business with engineering best practices and security considerations
• Passion for clean code, architecture, and continuous improvement of engineering processes
• Experience with AI Coding tools such as Cursor, Claude Code etc.
• Excellent communication skills – able to translate complex technical concepts for a variety of stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with IAM platforms and security services
• Knowledge of A/B testing, gRPC, and DevOps practices
• Experience with Keycloak, NextJS, and Ruby
• Proven ability to influence technical direction without direct authority
• Strong product and analytical mindset, capable of making trade-offs between risk, ROI, and performance
• Experience working at companies experiencing rapid growth and scaling challenges
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for the quality and timely delivery of work

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
• Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
• Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
• Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
• Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
• 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 (US Only)
• 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
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City (opening Summer 2026!)