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:
As Upstart’s Brand & Creative Team, we shape how the brand comes to life across every touchpoint — defining our voice, personality, and emotional connection with borrowers and partners. We sit within Growth, designing and creating for impact across all channels, from the digital surfaces where consumers first discover us to the campaigns and brand systems that make Upstart trusted and remembered.
As Creative Director, Brand at Upstart, you’ll be a senior creative leader for our brand's most visible owned channels including: organic social media, our website, and our brand design systems — while also driving creative vision for brand campaigns. You'll set the creative bar, lead the team, and champion the work that builds lasting brand love at scale.
This role is ideal for a player / coach — someone equally comfortable guiding a team and doing the work required to get something off the ground. This is an impactful role with the opportunity to be a key driver in making Upstart a beloved brand, cultural driver, and household name.
How you’ll make an impact
- Lead creative strategy and execution across Upstart's owned brand channels: organic social, our website, and brand design systems.
- Grow, inspire, and develop a multi-disciplinary creative team across brand disciplines—setting a high creative standard, delivering direct and actionable feedback, and building the kind of team culture where talented people come to do their best work.
- Drive brand campaign creative from concept to delivery, including leading both internal development and directing agency partners across TV, OOH, digital, and emerging media
- Actively evolve how Upstart uses AI tools to accelerate creative output without sacrificing craft
- Partner closely with Marketing, Product, and senior leadership to align creative strategy with business goals — showing up as a trusted creative thought partner across the organization, not just a creative executor.
Minimum Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience in brand creative, design, or creative direction, with at least 4+ years leading and managing multi-disciplinary creative teams.
- Demonstrated experience overseeing brand campaign development end-to-end across channels including TV, OOH, and digital with both internal teams and external agency partners.
- Portfolio showcasing excellence in brand identity work, visual design systems, and effective metrics-driving, multi-channel campaign creative.
- Proven track record of developing creative talent and building team culture across disciplines.
Preferred Qualifications
- Deep knowledge of organic social content strategy and platform-native creative across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and emerging channels.
- Familiarity with website design + content strategy and a track record of partnering with web and UX teams to deliver quality digital experiences.
- Ability to translate brand strategy into scalable design systems and guidelines adopted org-wide.
- Experience at a consumer-facing tech brand or other regulated industry brand.
- Advanced fluency with AI-assisted creative tools and a demonstrated approach to using emerging technologies as a force-multiplier for creative quality and output.
Position location This role is available in the following locations: Remote
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.
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 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
- Generous 401(k) plan with Upstart matching $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 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 [email protected]
https://www.upstart.com/candidate_privacy_policy
