Principal Platform Security Engineer

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 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for...

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 s...

Minimum requirements:
8+ years of experience in security engineering, infrastructure engineering, software engineering, or a related technical role.
4+ years of experience focused on infrastructure, cloud, platform, or production security.
Experience securing cloud-native infrastructure in AWS or a similar cloud environment.
Experience with multiple infrastructure security domains, such as cloud IAM, Kubernetes or container security, network security, secrets management, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD security, production access, or vulnerability management.
Experience writing code or automation in Python, Go, Java, Ruby, or a similar programming language.
Experience leading security architecture reviews or technical risk assessments for complex production systems.
Experience designing and implementing preventative security controls, guardrails, or platform-level security solutions used by multiple engineering teams.
Experience leading cross-functional security initiatives with infrastructure, platform, SRE, product engineering, risk, compliance, or audit stakeholders.
Preferred qualifications:
10+ years of experience spanning security engineering, infrastructure engineering, software engineering, or cloud platform engineering.
Experience owning a security roadmap for a technical domain that spans multiple teams or organizations.
Experience with Kubernetes security, service-to-service trust models, workload identity, runtime security, or cloud-native network controls.
Experience improving cloud security posture management, hardening baselines, drift detection, or infrastructure vulnerability management programs.
Experience building or scaling infrastructure security programs, including defining metrics, maturity models, and risk-based prioritization frameworks.
Familiarity with security considerations for AI-assisted engineering workflows, including code generation, code review tooling, agentic automation, and sensitive data exposure risks.
Experience partnering with Legal, Risk, Compliance, or Audit teams to operationalize security controls in a regulated environment.
Security certifications such as AWS Security Specialty, GCP Professional Cloud Security Engineer, CISSP, CCSP, or equivalent practical expertise.
 
Travel Requirements - As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.
 
#LI-REMOTE
#LI-MidSenior 
At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package.  The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.
In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).
United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range
$190,600—$263,900 USD
What you'll love
At Upstart, our benefits for full-time employees are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:
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
Connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
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
For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.
Upstart is a proud