Research Scientist, Upstart
ML Fairness & Explainability
$126.4-175k
+ Target bonuses + Equity + Employee Stock Purchase Plan
More information about location
AI lending marketplace
Be an early applicant
AI lending marketplace
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$126.4-175k
+ Target bonuses + Equity + Employee Stock Purchase Plan
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To enable effortless credit based on true risk.
Role
Who you are
- Strong academic credentials with a master's degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, physics, operations research, computer science, or other quantitative areas of study; Ph.D. preferred
- Programming skills in Python
- Full-stack expertise with all steps of the modeling process from ideation to productionalizing code; OR deep expertise in either statistical modeling or machine learning
- Experience and interest in ML explainability or fairness; OR demonstration of high potential to learn quickly and contribute to these areas
- Proficiency in a broad array of mathematical, statistical learning and machine learning concepts and applications
- Detailed understanding of building good technical solutions; ability to convert ideas into testable hypotheses and/or next steps
- Ability to meet team standards with respect to quality and velocity with minimal help or direction from peers
- For more complex tasks, ability to break down problems into smaller tasks, and use them to estimate the timeline of executing a larger initiative. Willingness to make the right tradeoffs when needed to deliver projects on time
- Proactively communicate to stakeholders and teammates with ability to contextualize technical results
- Strong sense of intellectual curiosity balanced with humility, drive and teamwork
- Numerically-savvy and smart with ability to operate at a speedy pace
- Enthusiasm for and alignment with Upstart’s mission and values
What the job involves
- Upstart’s Machine Learning team has a direct impact on our company's success. The team consists of Research Scientists, Data Scientists, ML Engineers and other highly specialized roles
- As a whole, the Machine Learning team builds, enables and evaluates our core production models
- Because our challenges are so new, members of our Machine Learning team need strong creative problem-solving skills and the technical background to implement solutions
- Our research environment affords team members the opportunity to utilize a variety of statistical and machine learning methods with the freedom and encouragement to pursue alternative approaches to solving problems. Whether developing new products or identifying novel approaches to core models, we are continuously seeking the next big ideas to move our business forward
- The role sits on the Fairness and Explainability team
- The team is focused on research and development ensuring our models are both fair and explainable. This function is essential for Upstart to ensure that our models are compliant, robust, and are able to engender trust with a variety of external stakeholders, including lending partners, investors, and consumers
- As a ML Research Scientist, you will be an integral part of the team ensuring fair lending compliance
- You'll enjoy a fast-paced environment with a focus on researching and implementing industry leading methodologies for explaining complex machine learning models, evaluating their fairness in the lending space, and mitigating any potential fairness disparities via less discriminatory alternative searches
- You will strive to understand, at a deep level, the dynamics of our models in order to properly inform business decisions
- Strong academic credentials with a master's degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, physics, operations research, computer science, or other quantitative areas of study; Ph.D. preferred
- Programming skills in Python
- Full-stack expertise with all steps of the modeling process from ideation to productionalizing code; OR deep expertise in either statistical modeling or machine learning
- Experience and interest in ML explainability or fairness; OR demonstration of high potential to learn quickly and contribute to these areas
- Proficiency in a broad array of mathematical, statistical learning and machine learning concepts and applications
- Detailed understanding of building good technical solutions; ability to convert ideas into testable hypotheses and/or next steps
- Ability to meet team standards with respect to quality and velocity with minimal help or direction from peers
- For more complex tasks, ability to break down problems into smaller tasks, and use them to estimate the timeline of executing a larger initiative. Willingness to make the right tradeoffs when needed to deliver projects on time
- Proactively communicate to stakeholders and teammates with ability to contextualize technical results
- Strong sense of intellectual curiosity balanced with humility, drive and teamwork
- Numerically-savvy and smart with ability to operate at a speedy pace
- Enthusiasm for and alignment with Upstart’s mission and values
Our take
Business startups across the world usually seek out funding, but this is often difficult for companies led by millenials. Millennial entrepreneurs with an excellent track record in business are increasingly requiring access to these loans, but their lack of credit history results in proposals frequently being declined.
Upstart provides loans that are aimed towards the target audience of millennials with entrepreneurial intentions, offering low interest rates that average at 12%. The company claims these rates are 10% lower than traditional lenders, and the service aims towards ensuring that the client is subject to no further fees (such as prepayment penalties).
Upstart claims that its unique selling point lies in the fact that its loans are funded the day after approval. Whilst the service focuses on personal loans for business, the company has also expanded to offer loans for car refinancing. Over 2022 and 23, Upstart's stocks fell dramatically and an investigation was undertaken by a law firm representing the company's long-term investors over alleged security law violations by its board of directors. However, the end of 2023 saw a 20% stock value rise for Upstart after its partnership with Mutual Security Credit Union led to a rise in customers, indicating that it is on the up after a difficult two years.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-16% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Apr 2019
$50m
SERIES D
Mar 2017
$32.5m
SERIES D
Total funding: $135.7m
Company benefits
- Comprehensive health plans
- 401k Plan
- Life insurance
- Disability insuranc
- Generous vacation policy
- Flexible time off
- Parental leave
- Technology equipment budget
- Personal development budget
- Various clubs and extracurricular activities
- Catered lunches
- Fully-stocked micro-kitchen
Company HQ
South San Mateo, San Mateo, CA
Leadership
David Girouard
(CEO)They started their career at Accenture and Booz Allen & Hamilton before working in Product Management at Apple and Virage. They left their role of 8 years as President of Enterprise at Google to found Upstart in March 2012.
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