Senior Data Scientist

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: At Upstart, our mission is to expand access to credit using advanced machine learning models that better evaluate true risk. Our Machine Learning team researches and productionizes all of Upstart’s core predictive models. If data is the new oil, then you’ll be responsible for the refining process that creates the most premium fuel possible. You’ll work in an environment where actionable insights from data are valued and needed, so you’ll be able to see your analysis turn into measurable results for our company and our borrowers. As a Data Scientist, you'll leverage technical and business acumen to become an expert in our models and how the models interact with the business. Identify potential problems or opportunities for improvement, communicate these issues to the team, stakeholders and suggest solutions. This involves self-directed investigation into our business and its data, designing and preparing regular reports, as well as conducting ad hoc analyses for the Machine Learning team, company leadership, and external business partners. Collaborating with ML scientists, engineers, product managers, and growth marketers, your work will drive data-informed decisions and measurable business impact. How you’ll make an impact Build and refine metrics for model performance and help understand uncertainty around model performance. Conduct in-depth data analyses to uncover growth opportunities and inform pricing strategy. Collaborate with engineers and analysts to build scalable data pipelines that enable efficient data access. Partner with cross-functional teams (ML scientists, engineers, product managers, and growth marketers) to align on priorities and drive measurable business impact. Develop dashboards and reporting tools to monitor key metrics and track performance. Minimum Qualifications Advanced degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Finance, or a related quantitative field. 2+ years of experience in data science, analytics, or related fields. Strong understanding of statistical, probability, and machine learning theory. Strong proficiency in SQL for querying and analyzing large datasets. Experience with Python and data analysis libraries. Proven ability to translate complex data insights into business impact and strategic recommendations. Preferred Qualifications Strong critical thinking skills and ability to translate general problem st ... (truncated, view full listing at source)