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; 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 looking for an attorney to join the Product & Regulatory Legal team.
As Senior Legal Counsel, Privacy, you will serve as subject matter expert on privacy, data governance, and cybersecurity legal issues across Upstart’s operations. Ideal job seekers should be team players, excellent communicators, and incredibly organized, and also have experience in providing legal guidance to businesses in the financial services industry. If you thrive in a fast-paced legal environment and are a great teammate, please apply! As a subject matter expert within Upstart, you will collaborate with teams across the entire company and within the Product & Regulatory Legal team on the laws and regulations impacting Upstart’s consumer lending platform, bank partnership business lines, and future products.
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 travel for in-person collaboration in our company offices in San Mateo, CA, Austin, TX, and Columbus, OH. These in-person on-sites generally occur once per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time, however the cadence varies by team and role.
How you’ll make an impact:
- Serve as the lead lawyer advising the business on applicable laws and regulations such as the GLBA, CCPA, and other state and federal privacy laws, as well as emerging “Responsible AI” and privacy laws.
- Engage directly with Upstart’s product, operations, privacy, security, finance, legal and compliance teams regarding Upstart’s obligations under privacy and data security laws; perform legal research and provide memos as necessary.
- Research, analyze and provide recommendations regarding data use and data sharing abilities within applicable laws.
- Provide legal recommendations to senior leadership, business partners and the Compliance/Risk function on key issues and strategy driving this important part of our business.
- Assist in the drafting and finalization of privacy and security related policies and procedures including those relating to data retention and destruction.
- Escalate high risk or important issues to senior leadership within the Product & Regulatory Legal team and senior management as appropriate.
- Use a first-principals approach to identify inefficiencies, reduce legal risk, and improve customer experiences.
What we're looking for:
- J.D. degree with superior academic credentials and a state bar membership.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in a top-tier law firm, in-house, and/or governmental agencies.
- Experience working for or with a fintech company, as well as handling privacy and/or data governance matters in consumer lending.
- In-depth knowledge of federal and state privacy and data security laws, including the GLBA, Regulation P, the FTC Financial Safeguard Rule and state laws across the country, as well as a foundational understanding of lending and consumer protection laws and regulations.
- Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide quick, concise, and practical legal advice.
- A self-starter mentality with the ability to work well under pressure, excel working under limited direction, and an attitude that no job is too challenging or too small.
- Ability to provide solutions to a variety of issues of varied scope and complexity and to prioritize and balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
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).
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 [email protected]
https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy
Top Skills
Similar Jobs at Upstart
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
