[Hiring] Director, Compliance & Control Oversight - Growth @Upstart

Role Description

The Director, Compliance & Controls — Growth leads first-line compliance for Upstart’s growth engine: the acquisition channels, marketing programs, partner relationships, and product launches that bring borrowers to our platform. This is a senior accountability role at the intersection of lending growth and regulatory discipline — one that shapes how Upstart grows as much as how it controls.

How you’ll make an impact

• Channel & partner oversight:
  • Own first-line compliance and controls for the growth function — acquisition channels, marketing programs (social, direct mail, email, co-branded), partner and affiliate relationships, and new product introductions.
  • Review each for regulatory, fair lending, and disclosure risk.
  • Approve marketing materials and third-party-produced content before release.
• Regulatory review & approval:
  • Bring UDAAP, Regulation B, CAN-SPAM, TCPA, and disclosure expertise to the front of the design process.
  • Translate regulatory requirements into practical guidance for channel launches, partner agreements, and product changes at the design stage.
• Control framework:
  • Build and maintain the business control framework: marketing approval policies, campaign inventory and change control, compliance monitoring, and regulatory change management.
  • Quantify exposure and calibrate controls based on actual risk — not volume or optics.
• Accountability:
  • Own root cause analysis and remediation design for growth-related compliance matters — complaints, risk assessments, marketing claims violations, and disclosure errors.
  • Work with the issue management function to drive durable fixes tracked to completion.
• Influence:
  • Operate as a trusted compliance partner in both directions: enabling Growth, Product, Marketing, and ML teams to move with clarity and speed.
  • Represent the business to second-line compliance, Legal, and auditors across risk assessments, fair lending reviews, and regulatory examinations.
  • Maintain examination-ready documentation and serve as the business’s primary point of contact in audits and governance reviews.
• Team leadership:
  • Build and develop a compliance team with depth across consumer protection, marketing, and acquisition channel regulation.
  • Set the standard for analytical rigor, proactive issue identification, and practical guidance that enables the business.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in compliance, legal, or risk management in consumer lending, banking, or fintech.
• Direct experience in marketing compliance, customer acquisition oversight, or partner/affiliate compliance.
• Deep working knowledge of consumer protection regulations applicable to loan marketing and offer generation, including UDAAP, Regulation B, CAN-SPAM, TCPA, and applicable state laws.
• Demonstrated experience managing a first-line compliance function in a bank-regulated environment.

Requirements

• Able to apply UDAAP, Regulation B, and related consumer protection frameworks to novel marketing and channel contexts.
• Confident and credible with Growth and Product leaders, regulators, and second-line partners.
• Track record of identifying compliance gaps in marketing programs, acquisition channels, or partner relationships before they escalate.
• Accountable end-to-end for compliance outcomes.
• Familiarity with secured consumer lending marketing compliance, including HELOC or home equity lending.
• Familiarity with AI/ML-driven credit decisioning.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants that vest quarterly.
• Retirement benefits, including a 401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan with a company match of $2 for every $1 contributed, up to $15,000 annually.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) with discounted stock purchase options for eligible employees.
• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness resources.
• Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart for eligible plans.
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage.
• Paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays.
• Paid family and parental leave.
• Family-centered benefits to support fertility, parenthood, and caregiving needs.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering mental health support.
• Financial wellness resources, including access to financial planning tools.
• Annual wellness allowance to support physical and emotional well-being.
• Annual productivity allowance to invest in relevant tools and resources.
• Connection and community through team events and employee resource groups (ERGs).
• Onsite perks, including catered lunches and fully stocked micro-kitchens.