Lead Legal Counsel, Capital Markets

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 3,000 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, 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:

Upstart’s capital markets legal team is at the forefront of creating innovative deal structures that drive our business forward. We negotiate deals that push the envelope on deal terms in a thoughtful, strategic manner. By partnering with the capital markets business team, we exert a tremendous impact on the overall amount of funding that Upstart is able to obtain each year.

As the Lead Legal Counsel, Capital Markets at Upstart, you will work with counterparties across Upstart including members of the product, operations, compliance, accounting, tax, treasury and finance teams. You will work on bilateral deals, small club deals, broadly syndicated deals and everything in between.

How you’ll make an impact

• Support the capital markets and finance teams in purchase and sale agreements, securitization transactions, other liquidity arrangements and day-to-day operational and legal support
• Review, draft and negotiate a variety of transactional documents opposite sophisticated institutional investors, including asset managers, private equity funds, hedge funds and pension funds
• Manage deal flow and work with outside counsel in structuring and executing various securitization transactions, including pass-throughs and asset-backed securitizations
• Collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders (including other members of the legal team) as new products are launched, ensuring consistency across documents and providing subject matter expertise over capital markets and investor channels
• Develop processes and maintain/ improve templates for transactions to support and drive rapidly growing business.
• Partner with product-regulatory colleagues to anticipate and address regulatory cross-winds
• Create internal education on a variety of legal risks

Minimum Qualifications

• J.D. degree with solid academic credentials and a state bar membership
• 10+ years of work experience, including both large law firm and in-house experience (in structured finance, debt finance or similar)
• Experienced in drafting and negotiating sophisticated transactional documents
• Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide quick, concise, and practical legal advice
• Experience managing a team

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience at a fintech company focused on lending /credit markets
• CA or NY bar membership
• Proven ability to develop scalable processes and procedures
• Eager to develop expertise in new or unfamiliar products and areas of law

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.

#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

$208,000—$287,900 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 Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email View email address on aiapply.co