Senior Collections Strategy Analyst

About the Role

Upgrade is a fintech company focused on providing affordable and responsible credit to everyday consumers. The Collections team plays a critical role in that mission by protecting portfolio performance while ensuring borrowers are treated fairly throughout the recovery process.

As a Senior Collections Strategy Analyst, you will own the analytics and strategy that drive performance across our post-charge-off and pre-charge-off recovery operations. You will build the reporting infrastructure, testing frameworks, and cross-functional partnerships needed to manage third-party agencies, dialer strategy, digital communications, debt settlement company (DSC) relationships, and hardship programs. This is a highly visible, individual-contributor role for someone who is analytically rigorous, comfortable owning ambiguous problems end-to-end, and energized by building strategy and infrastructure where little currently exists.

What You'll Do

• Build a holistic analytics framework for the overall recovery program, spanning debt sale, third-party agency outsourcing, and DSC settlements.
• Design, test, and maintain dialer strategy for pre-charge-off delinquent accounts, including contact cadence, prioritization logic, and channel sequencing.
• Bring a strong test-and-learn mindset to strategy development, structuring dialer experiments to compare treatment options and optimizing strategy based on results.
• Build and maintain a quarterly business review (QBR) deck for our third-party collection agencies, establishing the KPIs and reporting cadence needed to monitor agency performance.
• Own and evolve our digital communication strategy across email, SMS, and AI voice agent channels, balancing performance with borrower experience and compliance.
• Track, analyze, and report on settlement performance with debt settlement companies (DSCs), including acceptance rates, recovery yield, and portfolio trends.
• Build analytics to evaluate hardship program design and performance, identifying opportunities to improve borrower outcomes and recidivism rates.
• Perform ad hoc portfolio analytics to answer emerging questions from Collections leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Partner cross-functionally with Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations and Product to translate analysis into implemented strategy.
• Clearly communicate findings, trade-offs, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership.

What We Look For

• 3-5+ years of experience in a quantitative, analytics, or strategy role, ideally within collections, credit risk, or recovery operations at a financial services or fintech company.
• Direct experience with collections operations such as dialer strategy, agency management, debt sale, DSC/settlement programs, or hardship programs strongly preferred.
• Advanced SQL skills and comfort querying large, complex datasets independently.
• Experience building dashboards and reporting in Tableau (or a comparable BI tool), plus advanced proficiency in Excel and/or Google Sheets.
• Track record of designing and analyzing test-and-learn experiments (e.g., A/B tests) to optimize operational strategy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to move from raw data to a clear, actionable recommendation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting analysis and strategy to senior stakeholders.
• Self-starter who is comfortable owning ambiguous, cross-functional problems in a fast-paced environment.
• BA/BS degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, or related) or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience with dialer platforms or digital engagement platforms.
• Familiarity with fair lending, FDCPA, or other collections-related regulatory considerations.
• Working knowledge of Python or R for analysis or automation.
• Experience partnering directly with third-party vendors or agencies on performance management.

What We Offer You

• Competitive salary and stock option plan
• Medical, dental and vision insurance with employer paid options
• Flexible PTO
• Competitive 401(k)
• Opportunities for professional growth and development 
• Paid parental leave
• Health & wellness initiatives

The compensation range of this position in San Francisco, CA is USD $100,000 - $120,000 annually plus equity and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

#LI-Remote

For California residents: Upgrade's California Notice at Collection and Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information of job applicants.

About the Role

Upgrade is a fintech company focused on providing affordable and responsible credit to everyday consumers. The Collections team plays a critical role in that mission by protecting portfolio performance while ensuring borrowers are treated fairly throughout the recovery process.

As a Senior Collections Strategy Analyst, you will own the analytics and strategy that drive performance across our post-charge-off and pre-charge-off recovery operations. You will build the reporting infrastructure, testing frameworks, and cross-functional partnerships needed to manage third-party agencies, dialer strategy, digital communications, debt settlement company (DSC) relationships, and hardship programs. This is a highly visible, individual-contributor role for someone who is analytically rigorous, comfortable owning ambiguous problems end-to-end, and energized by building strategy and infrastructure where little currently exists.

What You'll Do

• Build a holistic analytics framework for the overall recovery program, spanning debt sale, third-party agency outsourcing, and DSC settlements.
• Design, test, and maintain dialer strategy for pre-charge-off delinquent accounts, including contact cadence, prioritization logic, and channel sequencing.
• Bring a strong test-and-learn mindset to strategy development, structuring dialer experiments to compare treatment options and optimizing strategy based on results.
• Build and maintain a quarterly business review (QBR) deck for our third-party collection agencies, establishing the KPIs and reporting cadence needed to monitor agency performance.
• Own and evolve our digital communication strategy across email, SMS, and AI voice agent channels, balancing performance with borrower experience and compliance.
• Track, analyze, and report on settlement performance with debt settlement companies (DSCs), including acceptance rates, recovery yield, and portfolio trends.
• Build analytics to evaluate hardship program design and performance, identifying opportunities to improve borrower outcomes and recidivism rates.
• Perform ad hoc portfolio analytics to answer emerging questions from Collections leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Partner cross-functionally with Risk, Compliance, Legal, Operations and Product to translate analysis into implemented strategy.
• Clearly communicate findings, trade-offs, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership.

What We Look For

• 3-5+ years of experience in a quantitative, analytics, or strategy role, ideally within collections, credit risk, or recovery operations at a financial services or fintech company.
• Direct experience with collections operations such as dialer strategy, agency management, debt sale, DSC/settlement programs, or hardship programs strongly preferred.
• Advanced SQL skills and comfort querying large, complex datasets independently.
• Experience building dashboards and reporting in Tableau (or a comparable BI tool), plus advanced proficiency in Excel and/or Google Sheets.
• Track record of designing and analyzing test-and-learn experiments (e.g., A/B tests) to optimize operational strategy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to move from raw data to a clear, actionable recommendation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting analysis and strategy to senior stakeholders.
• Self-starter who is comfortable owning ambiguous, cross-functional problems in a fast-paced environment.
• BA/BS degree in a quantitative field (Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Economics, or related) or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to Have

• Experience with dialer platforms or digital engagement platforms.
• Familiarity with fair lending, FDCPA, or other collections-related regulatory considerations.
• Working knowledge of Python or R for analysis or automation.
• Experience partnering directly with third-party vendors or agencies on performance management.

What We Offer You

• Competitive salary and stock option plan
• Medical, dental and vision insurance with employer paid options
• Flexible PTO
• Competitive 401(k)
• Opportunities for professional growth and development 
• Paid parental leave
• Health & wellness initiatives

The compensation range of this position in San Francisco, CA is USD $100,000 - $120,000 annually plus equity and benefits. Within this range, an individual's base pay will be dependent on a variety of factors, including without limitation, job-related knowledge, skills, education, and experience.

#LI-Remote

For California residents: Upgrade's California Notice at Collection and Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of the personal information of job applicants.