Customer Experience Specialist

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 Home Lending Operations team at Upstart is building a borrower experience that is clear, accessible, and human—from the very first interaction through to loan funding. While most of the loan lifecycle is handled by pod-based specialists, the Customer Experience (CX) team plays a pivotal role in guiding potential borrowers and early-stage applicants through the process. This team is instrumental in reducing reliance on traditional call centers by providing proactive, personalized support via phone, email, and chat.

As a Customer Experience Specialist, you’ll be the first point of contact for individuals exploring or applying for a home lending product. You’ll answer questions, resolve concerns, and ensure early-stage interactions reflect Upstart’s mission of delivering an effortless credit experience. You’ll also handle escalations from across the operation, requiring empathy, professionalism, and sound judgment.

How you’ll make an impact

• Answer inbound calls from prospective borrowers and applicants whose files have not yet been assigned to a processing pod, guiding them through next steps and answering product questions.
• Respond to inbound email inquiries and manage real-time chat support (in future-state implementation), providing accurate, helpful, and timely information.
• Take ownership of escalation calls from applicants requesting a supervisor, resolving concerns professionally while adhering to compliance and policy guidelines.
• Support funnel conversion by proactively identifying and addressing common applicant questions or pain points.
• Maintain accurate notes of all borrower interactions in tools such as Salesforce and Vesta to ensure visibility and alignment across teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve CX processes, documentation, or messaging based on recurring feedback or support trends.
• Collaborate with Pods, Training, and Quality teams to ensure consistency across all borrower touchpoints.

Minimum Qualifications 

• 1–2 years of experience in customer service, call center, or borrower support within a financial services or fintech environment.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex information clearly and professionally.
• Proven ability to handle sensitive or escalated customer conversations with empathy and professionalism.
• Comfortable navigating multiple systems and tools simultaneously (e.g., Salesforce, Vesta, telephony and chat platforms).
• Ability to work standard hours (9 AM – 5:30 PM EST) and occasional weekends as business needs evolve.
• Reside within 60 miles of Columbus, OH, and able to work from the office at least two days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in mortgage, home equity, or consumer lending operations.
• Familiarity with front-line customer support tools and knowledge management platforms.
• Experience in early-stage applicant engagement or lead nurturing.
• Comfort working in high-growth, change-oriented environments where feedback loops are fast and frequent.

Position location This role is available in the following locations: Columbus, OH

Time zone requirements The team operates on the East/West coast time zones

In-Office requirements.  You will be required to work from the Columbus, Ohio office 2 days per week (must be within a 60 mile radius). Depending on business needs, agents may be asked to work from the office more often.

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 reg