Pylon

Member of Technical Staff, Underwriting at Pylon (Palo Alto, CA)

Pylon· Palo Alto, CA· $130k–$220k·

Role details

Salary
$130k–$220k
Work type
Hybrid
Employment
Full-Time
Equity
Yes
Skills
TypeScriptSQLPostgreSQLNestJSGraphQLAI/ML toolingAgentic infrastructureTemporal.io
Benefits

Equity · Benefits

Summary

Backend Engineer for the Underwriting team will encode regulatory guidelines into executable code using TypeScript, AI, and DSLs. The role involves collaborating with mortgage experts to build precise, robust systems for mortgage origination, leveraging automation to replace manual judgment with faster and more cons...

Job description

About Pylon

America’s $13T mortgage market is one of the most important financial systems in the world. It underwrites the middle class and is the mechanism through which millions of families build wealth. But while every other financial instrument has been simplified to an API call, mortgages are still assembled by hand. We started from zero and created the first vertically integrated mortgage platform that turns origination into a single API. Publicly traded companies and the country’s largest originators are already building on Pylon. Revenue is compounding monthly. We’re backed by Peter Thiel, Conversion Capital, QED, Citi, Fifth Wall, and the founders of Ramp, Blend, and Mercury. Working at Pylon isn’t for those seeking comfort. The people who thrive here have high agency, strong opinions, and a track record of delivering outcomes without direction. Many of us are former founders. We move quickly, challenge each other directly, and take full ownership of results. It’s hard work, but it will be worth it. Join us in building America’s mortgage rails.

The Team We're looking for Back End Engineers to join our Underwriting team. This is the team that takes human judgment out of mortgage origination — and replaces it with systems that are faster, more consistent, and more accurate than any human process could be. Mortgage underwriting today is mostly manual. Experts read guidelines, interpret rules, cross-reference documents, and make decisions that determine whether someone gets a home. We're encoding all of that into software. Nobody has fully cracked this yet. The companies that figure it out will define the next generation of lending. The stakes are real. An incorrectly modeled rule can cost the company tens of thousands of dollars on a single loan. A well-modeled system can help us outcompete everyone in the market.

Here Is What You'll Do

  • Encode natural language rules into code. You'll work with DSLs and novel techniques — including AI — to translate dense regulatory guidelines into executable logic. Think of it as compiling English into a system that makes six-figure decisions.
  • Work side-by-side with mortgage experts. You won't be guessing what the rules mean. You'll pair with people who've spent their careers in mortgage to understand nuance, exceptions, and the "it depends" that makes this domain so hard.
  • Build systems where correctness is everything. This isn't a domain where "close enough" works. You'll design for precision, build robust test coverage, and think deeply about failure modes.
  • Push into uncharted territory. We're applying AI in ways the mortgage industry hasn't seen. You'll help define what's possible — not just implement what's been done before.
  • Automate complex, regulated processes. Every rule you encode is a step toward a world where mortgages are faster, cheaper, and more accessible.

Tech Stack

  • TypeScript
  • Custom DSLs for rule encoding
  • AI/ML tooling and agentic infrastructure
  • NestJS + GraphQL
  • SQL (PostgreSQL)
  • Temporal.io (workflow orchestration)

Who Will Succeed Here Someone who:

  • Is deeply curious
  • Wants to own features from design to development to deployment to maintenance
  • Is willing to put the work in to solve the hardest of problems

Location: Palo Alto , CA Base Salary Range: $140,000/yr to $220,000/yr + Equity + Benefits

Why work at Pylon

  • High Ownership, High Impact: Engineering teams own entire systems, not tickets. Described as "not a typical fintech company" — opinionated, fast-shipping, and willing to tackle "the hardest problem in tech" pylonlending.com.
  • Substantial Equity: Employees receive meaningful ownership in the company ("be a founder, not just an employee") pylonlending.com.
  • Perks: Health, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) and life insurance; home financing support (industry-leading rates); financial planning support.
  • Work Policy: Hybrid roles (e.g., New York, Palo Alto) and remote options available depending on position. Offices in New York (HQ) and Palo Alto builtin.com.
  • Culture: "This will be hard" — they explicitly seek people who thrive on messy, real-world problems with real stakes and regulatory complexity. Many ex-Stripe, ex-Better, and ex-Mercury engineers pylonlending.com.

Application questions