Commercial Lawyer
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Job Location:
San Mateo, CA - USA
Monthly Salary:
Not Disclosed
Posted on:
Yesterday
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
About Upstart
At Upstart were 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 thats both radically intelligent and deeply human. Our platform runs over one million predictions per borrower using more than 1800 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.
Were 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 doesnt mean distant. Were 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) youll have the support to work in the way that works best for you.
If youre energized by tackling meaningful problems excited to innovate with purpose and motivated by work that truly matters wed love to hear from you.
The Team
As a Commercial Lawyer at Upstart you will join a commercial legal team that is a strategic partner to the business sitting at the intersection of cuttingedge technology product and gotomarket execution. We structure and negotiate highimpact commercial deals with partners and vendors that dont just protect the company but unlock revenue accelerate product adoption and deepen critical partnerships. By working handinhand with Sales Procurement Product and Finance we drive clarity on risk craft creative solutions to get complex deals over the finish line and help shape how Upstart shows up in the market with our counterparties. This role will primarily support commercial legal work with the opportunity to flex into supporting our Lending Partnerships team for a meaningful portion of time. Its a chance to operate at a critical crosssection of Upstarts business driving both commercial execution and the partnerships that power our AI lending platform.
How youll make an impact
- Serve as commercial counsel for vendor and general commercial contracts across Upstart - from inception to execution - including SaaS data auto dealer software and other thirdparty agreements and provide practical riskaligned guidance that keeps deals moving;
- Build a deep understanding of Upstarts products and vendor ecosystem and collaborate closely with Procurement ThirdParty Risk Management Information Security Product Finance and other internal clients to understand and support their goals;
- Review draft and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements (including master service agreements software licenses SOWs data protection agreements professional services agreements and other procurement contracts) using playbooks and templates while spotting when bespoke structuring is required;
- Drive efficient deal flow by triaging and managing tickets through tools like Zip and Ironclad escalating issues to the right stakeholders and helping streamline intake approvals and closing processes; and
- Help build and continuously improve the commercial legal function at Upstart by creating scalable playbooks templates and training for Procurement and business teams.
Minimum Qualifications
- J.D. degree with solid academic credentials and an active state bar membership (NY or CA preferred);
- 5 years of experience in a transactional practice at a law firm and/or inhouse with a focus on technology and commercial contracts (SaaS data and other vendor agreements);
- Experience reviewing drafting and negotiating complex SaaS and other technology/data agreements ideally in a regulated industry or when contracting with regulated financial institutions;
- Ability to act as a negotiator on fastmoving complex deals combining strong analytical judgment with high EQ to build consensus with internal and external stakeholders on tricky issues under timing pressure;
- Comfort working with privacy security and datause terms (including DPAs and information security exhibits) and collaborating with subjectmatter experts to resolve issues efficiently;
- Not just an issuespotter but an issuesolver with a cando mindset a habit of moving quickly and ownership to drive matters from start to finish; and
- Holds an exceptionally high bar for their own work product and seeks to work with teammates who operate at a similarly high standard.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior inhouse experience on highimpact legal teams at a fintech financial services or technology company; startup or highgrowth company experience is a plus;
- Experience leading and closing complex commercial negotiations (for example strategic SaaS data or infrastructure vendor deals);
- Genuine curiosity about how Upstarts business works and a desire to jump in crossfunctionally to help teams solve problems even when the work sits outside traditional legal lanes;
- Over time a desire to mentor and collaborate with other members of the legal team and to help build efficient scalable processes as we grow and evolve;
- Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to translate complex legal and risk concepts into clear actionable guidance for nonlawyers;
- Eagerness to dive into new products AI and data issues and unfamiliar areas of law with a solutionsoriented lowego mindset; and
- Entrepreneurial drive who sees ambiguity as opportunity and obstacles as chances to build new solutions.
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-Associate
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 locationwith 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 youll love
At Upstart our benefits are designed to support your health financial well-being family and personal growth. Heres what you can expect:
- Competitive compensation including base pay bonus opportunities and annual equity grants that vest quarterly
- Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed up to $15000 per year
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees
- Affordable medical dental and vision coverage with multiple plan options - Upstart covers 90% to 100% of the cost depending on the plans you choose
- Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans
- Income protection benefits including company-paid Basic Life AD&D and Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage with options to purchase supplemental coverage
- Paid time off sick and safe time and company holidays
- Paid family and parental leave to support caregiving and major life moments
- Family-centered benefits through Carrot and Cleo supporting fertility parenthood and caregiving
- 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
- 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 and onsites all-company updates and employee resource groups (ERGs)
- Onsite perks including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens when working from one of our four offices located in the Bay Area Austin Columbus and New York City (opening Summer 2026!).
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
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Key Skills
- Time Management
- Microsoft Office
- Communication skills
- Computer Skills
- Microsoft Word
- Banking
- Legal Research
- Microsoft Powerpoint
- Microsoft Excel
- Underwriting
- Phone Etiquette
About Company
Through Upstart, apply online for a fast personal loan, auto refinancing, or debt consolidation. Try our quick rate check today with no impact to your credit!
