Principal Technical Program Manager

Upstart · Fintech · Remote · Engineering

Upstart is a fintech company that uses AI to improve access to credit. This Principal Technical Program Manager role focuses on driving execution of critical engineering initiatives, improving engineering velocity, strengthening operational excellence, and increasing Upstart's ML advantage. The role requires managing complex technical programs from concept to launch, working with distributed systems, and influencing stakeholders.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own system-level outcomes, ensuring initiatives deliver measurable business value instead of just ticking off feature completion checkboxes
  2. Bring clarity to ambiguity by aligning goals, defining milestones, translating high-level designs into actionable implementation details, and ensuring cross-team dependencies are clearly understood
  3. Proactively identify and mitigate critical risks early to de-risk delivery before failure happens
  4. Drive critical decisions by surfacing tradeoffs, clarifying priorities, and aligning stakeholders on a path forward
  5. Create and maintain a single, trusted view of program health to provide stakeholders at all levels with insights into progress, risks, and changes

Skills

Required

  • BA/BS in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
  • 8+ years of technical program management, product management or related experience in a software engineering environment
  • Experience leading large-scale, cross-functional programs spanning multiple engineering teams and systems
  • Experience leading complex technical initiatives from concept through launch, including defining scope, success metrics, and execution strategy
  • Experience working on distributed systems, service-oriented architectures, and system design at scale

Nice to have

  • Strong judgment and prioritization skills; able to navigate trade-offs with confidence and clarity across both technical and business domains.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to explain complex technical topics to diverse audiences
  • Track record of driving adoption of new processes, tools, or engineering standards across entire organizations
  • Proven ability to influence senior and executive stakeholders on ambiguous, high-impact initiatives
  • Experience increasing engineering velocity by driving improvements in tooling, automation, or AI-based solutions

What the JD emphasized

  • driving execution of the company’s most critical engineering initiatives
  • increasing Upstart’s ML advantage
  • Experience leading large-scale, cross-functional programs spanning multiple engineering teams and systems
  • Experience leading complex technical initiatives from concept through launch