Commercial Lawyer

About Upstart At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence. As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1,800 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress. We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City (opening Summer 2026), you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you. If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you. The Team As a Commercial Lawyer at Upstart, you will join a commercial legal team that is a strategic partner to the business, sitting at the intersection of cutting‑edge technology, product, and go‑to‑market execution. We structure and negotiate high‑impact commercial deals with partners and vendors that don’t just protect the company, but unlock revenue, accelerate product adoption, and deepen critical partnerships. By working hand‑in‑hand with Sales, Procurement, Product, and Finance, we drive clarity on risk, craft creative solutions to get complex deals over the finish line, and help shape how Upstart shows up in the market with our counterparties. This role will primarily support commercial legal work, with the opportunity to flex into supporting our Lending Partnerships team for a meaningful portion of time. It’s a chance to operate at a critical cross‑section of Upstart’s business, driving both commercial execution and the partnerships that power our AI lending platform. How you’ll make an impact Serve as commercial counsel for vendor and general commercial contracts across Upstart - from inception to execution - including SaaS, data, auto dealer software, and other third‑party agreements, and provide practical, risk‑aligned guidance that keeps deals moving; Build a deep understanding of Upstart’s products and vendor ecosystem, and collaborate closely with Procurement, Third‑Party Risk Management, Information Security, Product, Finance, and other internal clients to understand and support their goals; Review, draft, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements (including master service agreements, software licenses, SOWs, data protection agreements, professional services agreements, and other procurement contracts), using playbooks and templates while spotting when bespoke structuring is required; Drive efficient deal flow by triaging and managing tickets through tools like Zip and Ironclad, escalating issues to the right stakeholders, and helping streamline intake, approvals, and closing processes; and Help build and continuously improve the commercial legal function at Upstart by creating scalable playbooks, templates, and training for Procurement and business teams. Minimum Qualifications J.D. degree with solid academic credentials and an active state bar membership (NY or CA preferred); 5+ years of experience in a transactional practice at a ... (truncated, view full listing at source)