Senior Director, Operational Excellence

Senior Director, Operational Excellence

Company: Upstart Location: Remote (USA) Contract: Permanent Seniority: Executive Industry: Finance

About Upstart

Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace dedicated to reducing the cost and complexity of borrowing for all Americans. We leverage advanced AI and technology to reshape access to credit, partnering with banks and credit unions to offer fairer, smarter lending decisions. Our mission is to create a world where credit empowers financial progress for everyone.

As a digital-first company, we offer flexibility for our employees to work from wherever they thrive, fostering creativity and collaboration across our distributed teams. We are intentional about in-person connection through team events and planning sessions.

The Team

The Lending Operations team ensures exceptional customer experiences while maintaining robust operational controls throughout the lending lifecycle. Operational Excellence is a critical function that drives effective issue resolution, risk mitigation, and continuous process improvement as Upstart scales.

About the Role

The Senior Director, Operational Excellence will build and lead key functions including Issue Management, Customer Complaints, Identity Theft & Credit Disputes, and Quality Control. This role is responsible for establishing the strategy, operating model, and team structure to ensure consistent execution, regulatory compliance, customer-centric outcomes, and continuous improvement within Lending Operations. You will collaborate closely with Operations, Compliance, Legal, Risk, Product, and Engineering to identify root causes, strengthen controls, and elevate operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead a high-performing Operational Excellence organization covering Issue Management, Customer Complaints, Identity Theft & Credit Disputes, and Quality Control.
• Develop the long-term strategy, organizational design, operating rhythms, and performance management framework for the Operational Excellence function.
• Establish scalable processes for identifying, investigating, tracking, and resolving operational issues with appropriate governance and accountability.
• Create and oversee complaint management programs focused on timely resolution, root-cause analysis, trend identification, and continuous improvement.
• Lead the strategy and execution for identity theft investigations and credit dispute operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and customer protection standards.
• Design and mature a quality control program to evaluate operational performance, identify process gaps, and drive measurable improvements in customer and business outcomes.
• Partner with Compliance, Legal, Risk, Internal Audit, Product, Engineering, and Operations leaders to strengthen controls and mitigate emerging risks.
• Develop executive-level reporting, dashboards, and governance mechanisms to provide visibility into operational health, customer experience, and risk trends.
• Foster a culture of accountability, operational rigor, and continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making.
• Recruit, develop, and mentor leaders and team members, promoting an inclusive, high-performance environment.
• Lead large-scale operational improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, reduce risk, and improve the customer experience.

Requirements

• 12+ years of experience in operations, operational risk, operational excellence, complaint management, quality assurance, compliance operations, or related functions within financial services, fintech, banking, lending, or consumer finance.
• 7+ years of people leadership experience, including managing managers and leading multi-functional organizations.
• Proven experience building and scaling operational programs, teams, and governance frameworks in a regulated environment.
• Experience leading customer complaint management, issue management, quality control, audit, risk, compliance, or related operational functions.
• Demonstrated experience developing and presenting operational performance metrics and executive-level reporting to senior leadership.
• Experience driving cross-functional initiatives involving Operations, Product, Risk, Compliance, Legal, and Technology teams.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading Operational Excellence, Operational Risk, Complaint Management, Quality Assurance, or Control functions within a lending, banking, fintech, or consumer financial services organization.
• Experience supporting regulatory examinations, audits, remediation programs, and control enhancement initiatives.
• Knowledge of consumer protection regulations and operational risk management practices applicable to lending operations.
• Experience building issue management and root-cause analysis frameworks that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Experience leveraging automation, workflow tools, and data analytics to improve operational effectiveness and customer experience.
• MBA or other advanced degree.
• Experience operating in a high-growth technology or fintech environment.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation, including base pay, bonus opportunities, and annual equity grants.
• Retirement benefits with a company match (401(k) or Group Retirement Savings Plan).
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) for eligible employees (US only).
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision) and wellness resources.
• Health Savings Account contributions for eligible plans (US only).
• Income protection benefits, including life insurance and disability coverage.
• Generous paid time off, sick leave, and company holidays.