Head of Recovery Strategy, Process and Programs

  • R-6110
  • Operations
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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; and Austin, Texas.

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 Team: 

The Recovery team at Upstart is responsible for maximizing post-default recoveries while ensuring compliant, borrower-centric engagement across a diverse and growing vendor ecosystem. As our Recovery operations mature, we are investing in building smarter, more scalable systems that reduce manual risk, improve data-driven decisions, and align our vendor network with long-term strategic outcomes.

We are seeking a Head of Recovery Strategy, Process & Programs to lead our transformation roadmap across vendor integration, automation, compliance infrastructure, and intelligent placement logic. This individual will work cross-functionally across Product, Engineering, Compliance, Legal, Data Analytics, and Operations to architect the next evolution of Recovery operations at Upstart.

 

How you’ll make an impact

  • Lead Recovery’s transformation roadmap: Design and deliver high-impact initiatives that reduce manual risk, automate vendor workflows, and scale internal process efficiency across legal recovery, bankruptcy, affidavits, DSC, debt sales, and probate.
  • Architect scalable vendor infrastructure: Enhance frameworks for vendor onboarding, integration, compliance scorecards, and audit-readiness, ensuring Recovery is built to scale intelligently across a growing multi-vendor ecosystem.
  • Quantify and optimize placement strategy: Partner with data analytics, ML, and operations to improve liquidation and cost-to-collect through segmentation logic, hypothesis-driven testing, and performance-based routing.
  • Drive analytical and cross-functional execution: Lead strategic programs from concept to implementation—including the rollout of tools like Convoke, legal collections testing, and compliance health models—grounded in measurable ROI and portfolio-level impact.
  • Own Recovery’s strategic alignment layer: Serve as the connective tissue between Product, Engineering, Legal, ML, and Ops to ensure programs are modeled, implemented, and monitored with discipline.
  • Enable performance & quality execution, not manage it: This is a high-ownership individual contributor role. You'll complement operational leadership by enabling managers with scalable tools, systems, and decision frameworks—not by running day-to-day vendor performance.

 

Minimum Qualifications 

  • 8+ years of experience in product strategy, operations, or transformation program leadership in a regulated or financial services environment
  • Proven success leading analytically rigorous initiatives involving ROI modeling, hypothesis-driven testing, and cost-benefit analysis while  leading complex, cross-functional initiatives involving vendors, risk/compliance, and technology teams
  • Demonstrated ability to estimate financial impact at the unit and portfolio level (e.g., revenue per transaction, net present value over time)
  • Demonstrated experience applying process design, automation, or analytics to solve operational problems
  • Excellent project management skills and the ability to organize and drive multiple workstreams
  • Demonstrated ability to structure ambiguous problems, develop hypotheses, and present recommendations
  • Excellent communicator: able to synthesize complex analyses into clear, actionable roadmaps
  • Proven analytical skills, with the ability to monitor performance metrics and make data-driven decisions
  • Familiarity with compliance and operational risk frameworks in regulated financial operations
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment with a strong sense of urgency

 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Comfort building and interpreting unit economics models, breakeven analysis, and performance scenarios
  • Experience leading or collaborating on ML- or rule-based segmentation strategies for operational decisioning
  • Strong fluency with quantitative tools (SQL, Excel modeling, Looker, or scripting languages)
  • MBA from a top-tier business school
  • 3+ years of People management experience
  • Strong familiarity with regulated financial services operations or collections/recovery environments
  • Experience in legal collections, recovery optimization, debt sale analytics, or servicing vendor strategy
  • Immense curiosity about root causes—thinks critically from first principles and never stops asking questions
  • A natural thought-partner: open-minded, collaborative, and able to co-create new ideas with cross-functional teams
  • Experience working in fintech, financial services, or consulting (e.g. strategy, risk, vendor management)
  • Familiarity with tools like Convoke, Salesforce, AppScript, or vendor audit and control software
  • Experience with compliance, vendor due diligence, or regulatory exam preparation

 

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.

 

What you'll love: 

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

 

#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).

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range
$127,200—$176,000 USD

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together. 

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

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