Senior Content Designer

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; and Austin, Texas.

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 is on a mission to expand access to credit by using AI to make the lending process more accurate, inclusive, and efficient. We’re building fairer alternatives for consumers who have historically been underserved by traditional financial institutions — especially those facing urgent financial challenges. Our web-based loan product has seen strong early traction, and as we grow our suite of solutions, we're ensuring that every word and interaction in our product experience is clear, compassionate, and deeply aligned with our users’ needs.

As the first dedicated Senior Content Designer at Upstart, you’ll define and drive the content strategy for the entire product experience — ensuring that language is not only clear and consistent, but central to how our product earns trust, reduces friction, and delivers measurable impact. You’ll help establish content design as a core pillar of our product development process, partnering closely with design, product, engineering, brand, and research teams. From microcopy and naming systems to flows and frameworks, you’ll set the tone for how content empowers users, reflects our values, and supports business outcomes.

This is a foundational role — you’ll shape both our product’s voice and the practice of content design at Upstart for years to come.

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

This team has regular onsite collaboration sessions. These typically occur twice per quarter (~3 days each) at one of our offices in San Mateo, CA or Columbus, OH. If you need to travel to make these meetups, Upstart will cover all travel related expenses.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Own the content strategy and product voice across our product experiences, from acquisition flows to application journeys and account management
• Partner closely with Product, Design, and Engineering teams to co-create intuitive, high-trust user experiences through thoughtful language
• Develop scalable systems for voice and tone, terminology, content patterns, and UX writing guidelines
• Collaborate with Brand and Creative partners to reflect Upstart’s mission and values in-product — and evolve a distinctive, human-centered voice
• Write clear, concise, and useful product content — including microcopy, error messages, empty states, calls to action, onboarding flows, and beyond
• Plan and facilitate content-first workshops and co-creation sessions that help teams think holistically about the end-to-end customer journey
• Bring user insights and research into the content design process, helping teams understand how language impacts trust, comprehension, and decision-making
• Advocate for accessibility and inclusivity in product language, ensuring our content supports users across different contexts and abilities
• Serve as a thought leader and educator for content design — mentoring peers, elevating the discipline, and contributing to a culture of excellence in product development

What we’re looking for:

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience as a content designer, UX writer, or content strategist in a product design environment
• Strong portfolio showcasing content work across digital products, demonstrating clarity, compassion, and measurable impact
• Demonstrated success collaborating in cross-functional teams and influencing product outcomes through content
• Experience building and scaling content systems, style guides, and terminology frameworks
• Deep understanding of UX principles, accessibility best practices, and the role of content in shaping user behavior
• Comfortable leading workshops, facilitating critiques, and advocating for content design within product teams
• Skilled in using tools like Figma, FigJam, Google Docs, and content testing platforms (e.g. Maze, Usertesting)
• Mission-driven, customer-obsessed, and eager to help people navigate financial challenges with dignity and confidence

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in fintech or other highly regulated industries (e.g. healthcare, education, insurance)
• Familiarity with product ecosystems that involve complex decision-making, high-stakes workflows, or sensitive user data
• Proven ability to capture content-related metrics (e.g. comprehension, engagement, task success) and use them to inform strategy
• Experience designing for diverse audiences, and an interest in the financial needs of underserved or high-risk populations
• Previous work on products influenced by machine learning or automation — especially where trust and transparency are critical

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).

Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range

$162,100—$224,500 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.

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 candidate_accommodations@upstart.com

https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy