Director, Strategic Finance

R-6946
Finance

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; Austin, Texas; and New York City, NY (opening Summer 2026). 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 Role: Upstart is building innovative products that expand access to credit. The Finance team plays a critical role in shaping business decisions, aligning strategy with execution, and ensuring financial discipline as products scale. This Director, Strategic Finance will serve as the primary day-to-day finance and strategy partner to the Small Dollar Loan leadership team, providing analytical insight, financial rigor, and cross-functional coordination as the business evolves. The role spans strategic planning, business analytics, financial performance management, and execution of high-impact initiatives. You will operate at the center of decision-making—developing business cases, diagnosing performance trends, and helping translate strategy into action across Product, Engineering, Operations, Capital Markets, Analytics, and Go-To-Market teams. How you’ll make an impact Strategic Partnership & Business Leadership

Serve as the primary finance and strategy partner to SDL business leaders, ensuring alignment between strategy, financial outcomes, and execution
Act as a connective tissue across Product, Engineering, Operations, Analytics, Capital Markets,and GTM teams to drive clarity and accountability
Facilitate structured prioritization and trade-off discussions to focus resources on the highest-impact initiatives

Strategy Development & Financial Analysis

Identify,evaluate,and size strategic opportunities,growth initiatives,and investment decisions
Build rigorous business cases ,financial models,and scenario analyses to support go/no-go decisions
Partner with cross-functional teams to scope initiatives ,align stakeholders ,and drive recommendations through execution

Business Performance Management & Insights

Own ongoing financial and operational performance tracking for the SDL business
Monitor key metrics ,identify emerging trends or risks ,and lead root-cause analyses when performance deviates from expectations
Translate complex data into clear insights and actionable recommendations for senior leadership

Financial Planning & Operational Rigor

Support short- and long-term financial planning ,forecasting ,and budget management for the SDL business
Partner with FP&A and Accounting to ensure accurate forecasting ,reporting ,and transparency
Improve reporting ,tooling ,and analytical infrastructure to support scalable decision-making

Minimum Qualifications

10+ years of experience in Strategic Finance ,FP&A ,Corporate Finance ,Business Operations or a similar analytical role
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to build and interpret complex financial and operational models
Advanced proficiency in Excel and/or Google Sheets ;experience with SQL and BI tools such as Looker Tableau or Mode
Proven track record of partnering cross-functionally with Product Engineering Operations GTM teams
Experience building business cases evaluating investments managing performance through KPIs
Excellent written verbal communication skills with ability to influence senior stakeholders drive alignment
Comfort working in ambiguous evolving environments translating strategy into execution

Preferred Qualifications

Background in fintech lending consumer finance subscription or technology-enabled marketplaces
Experience with forecasting cohort-based economics unit economics or credit-driven business models
MBA or advanced degree in Finance Economics or related field

Position location: This role is available in the following locations: Remote Time zone requirements: The team operates on East/West coast time zones. Travel requirements: As a digital first company majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of employees can live/work anywhere in U.S but encouraged to spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. In-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on team/role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2–4 consecutive days at a time. What you'll love:

Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
Comprehensive medical dental vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
401(k) with 100% company match up to $4 500 immediate vesting after-tax savings
Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
Life disability insurance
Generous holiday vacation sick safety leave
Supportive parental family care military leave programs
Annual wellness technology ergonomic reimbursement programs
Social activities including team events onsites all-company updates employee resource groups (ERGs) other interest groups such as book clubs fitness investing volunteering
Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

LI-REMOTE #LI-Director --> use for L7

At Upstart your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected within below range. Actual base pay depends on geographic location–with “digital first” philosophy Upstart uses compensation regions varying by location. Individual pay determined by job-related skills experience relevant education/training. Recruiter can share specific salary range during hiring process. In addition Upstart provides employees target bonuses equity compensation generous benefits packages (including medical dental vision 401k). United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range: $184000—$255000 USD Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive fair hiring practices. If you require reasonable accommodation completing application interviewing pre-employment testing or otherwise participating employee selection process please email candidate_accommodations@upstart.com https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy