Upstart
Lead Servicing Counsel
Job Summary
Upstart is seeking a Lead Servicing Legal Counsel to advise on laws and regulations related to consumer lending, servicing, and collections. The role involves collaborating with various teams to ensure compliance with federal and state laws such as FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, and others, while providing practical legal advice. Candidates should have a JD, extensive experience in consumer lending law, and strong communication skills. The position offers opportunities for remote work, leadership development, and comprehensive benefits.
Required Skills
Benefits
Job Description
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
Upstart is looking for an attorney to join the Product & Regulatory Affairs Legal team and serve as a legal advisor to Upstart’s servicing and collections functions for its consumer lending products and services. Ideal job seekers should be team players, excellent communicators, and incredibly organized, and also have experience in servicing and collection of secured and unsecured personal loans, retail installment sales contracts, and open end products. If you thrive in a fast-paced legal environment and are a great teammate, please apply!
As Lead Servicing Legal Counsel, you will be an individual contributor, with the potential to manage a small team in the future. As a subject matter expert on the servicing and collection functions within Upstart, you will collaborate with teams across the entire company and within the Product & Regulatory Affairs Legal team on the laws and regulations impacting Upstart’s consumer lending platform, bank partnership business lines, and future products.
Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote
Time Zone Requirements - This 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 travel for in-person collaboration in our company offices in San Mateo, CA, Austin, TX, and Columbus, OH. These in-person on-sites generally occur once per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time, however the cadence varies by team and role.
How you’ll make an impact:
- Serve as the lead lawyer advising the servicing and collections teams, including on applicable laws and regulations such as the FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, TCPA, SCRA, UDAAP, ESIGN, EFTA, Bankruptcy and state consumer lending laws.
- Engage directly with Upstart’s product, operations, finance, legal and compliance teams regarding Upstart’s products, features, and integrations as necessary to support the servicing and collection functions; perform legal research and provide memos as necessary.
- Provide legal recommendations to business partners and the Compliance/Risk function on key issues and strategy driving this important part of our business.
- Escalate high risk or important issues to senior leadership within the Product & Regulatory Affairs Legal team and senior management as appropriate.
- Use a first-principals approach to identify inefficiencies, reduce legal risk, and improve customer experiences.
What we’re looking for:
- Minimum qualifications:
- J.D. degree with superior academic credentials and a state bar membership.
- At least 7 years of experience in a top-tier law firm, in-house, and/or governmental agencies.
- Experience working for or with a fintech company, as well as handling servicing and collection matters in consumer lending.
- In-depth knowledge of federal and state lending, servicing, collections, and consumer protection laws and regulations.
- Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide quick, concise, and practical legal advice.
- A self-starter mentality with the ability to work well under pressure, excel working under limited direction, and an attitude that no job is too challenging or too small.
- Ability to provide solutions to a variety of issues of varied scope and complexity and to prioritize and balance multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
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).
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 [email protected]
Upstart
A lending platform using AI to provide personal loans and credit solutions with a focus on fair and fast approvals.
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