Lead Legal Counsel - HELOC

About Upstart

At Upstart, we’re united by a mission that matters: to radically reduce the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. Every day, we bring creativity, experimentation, and advanced AI to reshape access to credit, helping millions move forward financially with clarity and confidence.

As the leading AI lending marketplace, we partner with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit through technology that’s both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 3,000 signals, powering smarter, fairer decisions for millions of customers. But the numbers only hint at the impact. Every idea, every voice, and every contribution moves us closer to a world where credit never stands between people and their financial progress.

We’re proudly digital-first, giving most Upstarters the flexibility to do their best work from wherever they thrive, alongside teammates across 80+ cities in the US and Canada. Digital-first doesn’t mean distant. We’re intentional about in-person connection through team onsites, planning sessions, and moments that spark creativity and trust. And whether you choose to work primarily from home or collaborate in-person from one of our offices in Columbus, Austin, the Bay Area, or New York City, you’ll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.

If you’re energized by tackling meaningful problems, excited to innovate with purpose, and motivated by work that truly matters, we’d love to hear from you.

The Team:

Upstart’s Product & Regulatory Legal team partners closely with Product, Engineering, Compliance, Risk, and Operations to enable responsible innovation across our lending products. As Upstart expands its product offerings, the team plays a critical role in helping bring new products and capabilities to market while ensuring compliance with complex federal and state regulatory requirements. As Lead Legal Counsel with the Product & Regulatory Legal team, you will play a key role in providing legal support for HELOC, and the potential development of new real estate secured products. You will be part of a larger team that also supports Upstart’s unsecured and auto-secured lending products.

As the Lead Legal Counsel, HELOC at Upstart, reporting into the Product & Regulatory Legal team, you will serve as the primary legal partner for our Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) product. You will work cross-functionally to provide strategic legal guidance throughout the product lifecycle, helping the business launch and scale innovative home lending solutions while effectively managing legal and regulatory risk.

How you’ll make an impact

• Provide strategic legal counsel to Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, and Operations teams to support Upstart's HELOC product and transition from a state-licensed lender to a national bank.
• Advise on federal and state consumer lending laws, with a particular focus on secured lending products, mortgage regulations, and regulatory developments that impact home lending products and services.
• Provide legal counsel and advice on future products, which may include purchase-money mortgages.
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to design compliant product features, customer experiences, operational processes, and servicing capabilities.
• Lead legal support for new product initiatives, regulatory change management, and market expansion efforts related to home lending.
• Collaborate across the Product & Regulatory Legal team and with other legal teams, including lawyers supporting Privacy, Fair Lending, Capital Markets and Commercial contracts, as needed.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including regulators, bank partners, and outside counsel, on legal matters affecting the HELOC business.
• Identify and communicate key legal risks to business partners; ability to distill complex legal matters and risks for senior leadership in a clear and actionable manner, synthesizing complex concepts into concise recommendations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• 7+ years of legal experience advising financial services, fintech, or mortgage lending organizations, including substantial experience serving as the primary legal advisor for complex product organizations with a focus on real-estate secured products.
• Deep expertise in consumer financial services laws and mortgage regulations, including TILA, RESPA, ECOA, FCRA, HMDA, UDAAP, and applicable state lending and federal banking laws.
• Experience advising cross-functional product development teams and supporting the launch or expansion of regulated financial products.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting HELOC, mortgage, or other secured lending products throughout the full product lifecycle.
• Experience supporting regulatory examinations, enforcement matters, or interactions with federal and state regulators.
• Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives and develop practical, scalable solutions for product teams.
• Experience building legal processes and governance frameworks within rapidly growing technology or fintech organizations.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled financial products, digital lending platforms, or emerging regulatory developments affecting financial technology.

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 to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

#LI-REMOTE

#LI-MidSenior

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).

What you'll love

At Upstart, our benefits for full-time employees are designed to support your health, financial well-being, family, and personal growth. Here’s what you can expect:

• Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
• Retirement benefits to help you plan for the future, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually (USD in the US, CAD in Canada)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees (US only)
• Comprehensive health coverage designed to support you and your family, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources for US and supplemental health coverage for Canada.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans (US only)
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage for added financial security
• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays, in line with local requirements
• Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments (duration varies by country)
• Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support and life-centered resources
• Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools and a financial concierge service (US Only)
• Annual wellness allowance to support your physical and emotional well-being and personal development, based on what matters most to you
• Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources you need to do your best work, no matter where you work from
• Connection and community through team events, all-company updates, and employee resource groups (ERGs)
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our offices in the Bay Area, Austin, Columbus, and New York City

For roles based in Canada, please note that we are not currently able to hire in Quebec.

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Just as we are dedicated to improving access to affordable credit for all, we are committed to inclusive and fair hiring practices.

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