Frontend Engineer, Sr.

About Upstart

Upstart is a pioneering AI lending marketplace that partners with banks and credit unions to broaden access to affordable credit. By harnessing advanced artificial intelligence, Upstart's platform enables financial institutions to make more informed lending decisions, resulting in higher approval rates and reduced loss rates across diverse demographics including race, age, and gender. The company's innovative approach ensures that over 80% of borrowers receive instant approvals with minimal documentation, delivering a seamless digital-first lending experience. As a fully digital company, Upstart offers flexible work arrangements, with most employees working remotely across the United States, complemented by offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas. The company's mission centers on providing effortless credit based on true risk assessment, empowering individuals and fostering financial inclusion. Upstart's culture is driven by a passion for technological innovation, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

About The Role

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Frontend Engineer to join our Frontend Platform team, focusing on enhancing and modernizing Upstart’s design system. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of our borrower-facing products by developing scalable, accessible, and consistent user interfaces. Your expertise will help evolve our design system—aligning it with modern product design principles to ensure a cohesive experience across web and native applications. You will act as a bridge between design and engineering teams, providing technical guidance, fostering best practices, and promoting collaboration. Your work will directly impact the user experience by enabling faster development cycles, improving UI consistency, and ensuring accessibility standards are met. This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence the foundational elements of Upstart’s digital products, contributing to a more unified and polished customer experience.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of professional web development experience
• At least 4+ years of experience working with modern JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, Vue, or Svelte
• Advanced proficiency in TypeScript
• Strong knowledge of semantic HTML and CSS3, including responsive design and accessibility best practices
• Experience with modern testing frameworks like Jest and react-testing-library
• Familiarity with component documentation tools such as Storybook
• Experience building and maintaining design systems or highly accessible web components (preferred)
• Knowledge of atomic CSS frameworks such as Tailwind CSS, Chakra UI, vanilla-extract, or Sprinkles (preferred)
• Understanding of design token versioning and maintenance (preferred)
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical concepts clearly and concisely

Responsibilities

• Mature and maintain Upstart’s design system to ensure consistency and reusability across products
• Develop, document, and uphold accessible, high-performance UI components
• Act as a liaison between product design and engineering teams, providing technical guidance and mentorship
• Collaborate with frontend engineers to implement best practices, improve developer velocity, and ensure design integrity
• Contribute to the evolution of our frontend foundations, aligning with modern design principles and accessibility standards
• Participate in code reviews, testing, and documentation to uphold quality standards
• Stay current with emerging frontend technologies and industry best practices to continuously enhance our systems
• Support cross-functional teams in adopting and implementing design system components and guidelines

Benefits

• Competitive salary with bonus and equity components
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Health Savings Account contributions
• 401(k) plan with a 100% company match up to $4,500, immediate vesting, and after-tax savings options
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance coverage
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick leave, and safety leave policies
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology, and ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Regular social activities, team events, and onsite gatherings (where applicable)
• Catered lunches, snacks, and beverages for onsite employees

Equal Opportunity

Upstart is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment. We believe diversity in backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences enhances our innovation and success. We are dedicated to ensuring all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status.