Home Lending Underwriter

About this role

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 1,800 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 (opening Summer 2026), 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:

The HELOC Underwriting team is responsible for evaluating loan applications and making sound, policy-aligned credit decisions. This team ensures consistent application of underwriting guidelines across approvals and declines, and identifies potential fraud risks. The team partners with Processing, Closing, and Quality to ensure accurate and efficient loan decisioning and funding.

As a Home Lending Underwriter, you’ll partner closely with our Licensed Loan Advisors to ensure loan decisions are accurate and timely. It is your responsibility to ensure that we are originating quality, sellable loans that adhere to our underwriting policy and procedures. You will also need a keen eye for process improvement and workflow optimization.

How you’ll make an impact

• Approval & decline accuracy: Ensure all approval and decline decisions are well-supported, clearly documented, and consistent with credit policy and regulatory expectations.

• Fraud risk identification: Review applications for potential fraud indicators (income misrepresentation, occupancy concerns, document inconsistencies, identity risk) and take appropriate action in alignment with fraud protocols.

• Documentation & compliance: Maintain complete, audit-ready loan files with clear rationale, supporting documentation, and decision notes.

• Operational consistency: Apply underwriting guidelines consistently and contribute to maintaining quality and reducing defects across the underwriting process.

Minimum Qualifications

• 2+ years of combined experience in mortgage and/or HELOC processing and/or underwriting operations or equivalent experience in credit decisioning and analysis

• Demonstrated experience/success in an environment in which you are held accountable for productivity output as well as quality metrics aligned to that output

• Demonstrated experience conducting quality assurance or second-level reviews on loan files

• Experience reviewing loan files for fraud risk and escalating concerns appropriately

• Experience working within an LOS and reviewing full loan documentation packages

• Strong documentation skills supporting credit decisions for QA/audit review

• Strong analytical skills with meticulous attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with HELOC-specific underwriting guidelines and second lien products

• Familiarity with Vesta Loan Origination System

• Familiarity with fraud detection tools, red flag identification, and investigation workflows

• Proficiency with Excel/Sheets for income calculation and loan analysis

• Familiarity with compliance and regulatory requirements related to mortgage underwriting

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.

#LI-Associate

This is a Non-Exempt position. Employees in this position are paid an hourly pay rate, on a bi-weekly basis, and are eligible to receive overtime pay for any hours worked over 40 in a work week, or over 8 in a work day if required by state law.

At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated annualized 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).

United States | Remote - Anticipated Hourly Rate Range $28.56 — $39.52 USD

What you'll love

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

• Competitive compensat

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