Senior Product Design Manager

About Upstart

Upstart is the leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than 80% of borrowers are approved instantly, with zero documentation to upload.

Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas; and New York City, NY (opening Summer 2026).

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 Product Experience team brings together product design, research, and content strategy to shape the future of lending, auto retail, and capital markets. We focus on high-craft execution, deep customer insight, and measurable business impact, partnering across product areas to build experiences that are clear, trustworthy, and human. Our senior and principal practitioners work across the full product lifecycle, driving vision, systems, and delivery while navigating complex domains ranging from borrower repayment to dealer workflows to institutional investor platforms.

As a Senior Product Design Manager reporting to the Director of Product Design, you will lead designers working across Servicing, Auto Retail, and Capital Marketplace. This portfolio spans borrower repayment and support, next-generation auto retail workflows for dealers and shoppers, and the institutional tools powering our investor marketplace. You will guide design quality and execution across these domains, help teams move quickly through ambiguity, and strengthen cross-functional decision-making. Your leadership will elevate both design craft and design culture by developing designers, aligning strategy with partners, and creating the conditions for exceptional work to thrive across a multi-surface, multi-stakeholder ecosystem.

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones.

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.

How you’ll make an impact

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team by providing mentorship, actionable feedback, and career guidance while building a culture of clarity, curiosity, and accountability
• Shape the design vision and execution for Servicing, Auto Retail, and Capital Marketplace, ensuring experiences are intuitive, consistent, and measurably impactful for borrowers, dealers, partners, and investors
• Partner with Product and Engineering leaders to define strategy, prioritize work, and help teams balance user needs with business goals
• Set clear expectations and success metrics for design work, championing outcomes and ensuring design has an informed and influential voice in product decisions
• Drive alignment across complex, multi-product journeys by connecting experiences through shared systems, standards, and principles
• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration by encouraging experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement in how teams work and deliver
• Contribute to operating model improvements by working with the Director of Product Design and peers to refine processes, rituals, and systems that enable high-quality design at scale
• Support hiring and onboarding efforts to attract and grow exceptional, diverse design talent while reinforcing an inclusive, mission-driven culture

Minimum Qualifications

• 10 or more years designing and launching digital products, including 3 or more years managing designers or leading design teams
• Proven track record guiding end-to-end product design with measurable customer and business impact
• Strong portfolio that demonstrates leadership, craft excellence, and systems thinking across multiple product surfaces or ecosystems
• Experience developing designers at a range of career stages and elevating overall team capability
• Deep understanding of user-centered design, interaction design, and data-informed iteration
• Strong collaboration and communication skills with an ability to influence cross-functional peers and executives
• Proficiency in Figma and familiarity with modern design, research, and prototyping tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience scaling design teams or practices within high-growth, cross-functional environments
• Background in fintech, auto retail, marketplaces, or other complex systems involving regulated data or sensitive user journeys
• Familiarity with experimentation frameworks such as A/B testing and hypothesis-driven design
• History of partnership with product, research, and engineering leaders to define and deliver a shared vision
• Demonstrated ability to connect multi-product or platform experiences through systems and standards
• Passion for mentoring senior ICs and emerging design leaders
• Clear perspective on how AI can elevate design and research workflows and shape more intelligent, personalized customer experiences

What you'll love:

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

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

$198,700—$275,000 USD

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.