Manager, Machine Learning

About Upstart

Upstart is a leading AI lending platform partnering with banks to expand access to affordable credit. As we transitioned to being a public company, we’re now poised to leverage our domain expertise and revolutionize every aspect of lending and credit risk evaluation. We’ve recently expanded our offerings to include automobile refinancing and we plan to take on more verticals as the business grows.

By leveraging Upstart's AI platform, Upstart-powered banks can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. Upstart's patent-pending platform is the first to receive a no-action letter from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau related to fair lending. Upstart not only supports a large remote workforce, but also has offices in San Mateo, CA; Columbus, OH; and Austin, TX.

Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless... credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you!

The Team

Upstart’s Machine Learning team has a direct impact on our company's success. The team consists of full-stack generalists as well as specialists in research, data science, statistical modeling and machine learning in each of our locations.

The fundamental goal of the Machine Learning team is to explore new models and new data sets that can improve the accuracy of our models. With this goal comes near-limitless challenges to tackle, and that is one of the reasons why Upstart is such a unique opportunity.

The Role

As a Machine Learning Manager, you will guide and help our Research Scientists, Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers on our Machine Learning Team achieve their potential to make Upstart an even better place to work. Whether developing new products or identifying novel approaches to core models, we are continuously seeking the next big ideas to advance our business and mission of making credit more fair and affordable.

Reporting to a VP of Machine Learning, the Machine Learning Manager will lead teams of up to 4-7 direct reports. The Manager will lead, guide and participate in the full scope of work. Managers on the team will collaborate with each other for planning as well as evaluating productivity and engagement in order to achieve excellence.

• Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote, San Mateo or Columbus
• Time Zone Requirements - This team operates on either the East or West Coast time zones.
• Travel Requirements - This team has regular on-site collaboration sessions. ML Managers can expect anticipate working in either HQ 3 days/week with travel to the other office location a few times per year. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.

What we’re looking for:

• 5+ years of experience research science/machine learning with people leadership experience and an interest in guiding and building an elite Machine Learning team
• Strong academic credentials with a master's degree in statistics, machine learning, mathematics, computer science, or other quantitative area of study; Ph.D. preferred
• Passion for mentoring with the ability to deliver constructive feedback to bring out the best in a team and help direct reports grow in their careers
• Detailed understanding of building good technical solutions with ability to galvanize a technical team into solving a problem, breaking large projects into smaller pieces to meet deadlines; ability to convert ideas into testable hypotheses and/or next steps
• Experience with all steps of the modeling process from ideation to productionalizing code
• Comfort with programming in Python
• Knowledge of machine learning, pipelines and engineering architecture helpful
• Background working with teams in multiple locations helpful
• Preference for backgrounds in product-based technology companies or in roles where data science directly impacts a company’s bottom line (for example, high stakes quantitative trading or hedge funds)
• Enthusiasm for and alignment with Upstart’s mission and values
• Demonstrated business acumen and quantitative thought leadership
• Strong sense of intellectual curiosity balanced with humility, drive and teamwork
• Ability to operate at a speedy pace in research or implementation
• Numerically-savvy and smart, with an appropriate tolerance for risk
• Ability to leverage personal influence and connections to attract top talent

What you’ll love:

• Competitive compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Personal development and technology & ergonomic budgets
• Life insurance and disability benefits
• Clubs and Activities (game nights, Fitstarters, Superwomen, book club, investing club, money discussions, photography club and basketball teams)
• Generous vacation policy
• 401(k) retirement plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together.