Full-Time
Staff Mobile Engineer
Posted on 10/31/2025
Upside
201-500 employees
Cash-back app for everyday retail purchases
Compensation Overview
$220k - $260k/yr
Washington, DC, USA + 3 more
More locations: Austin, TX, USA | Chicago, IL, USA | New York, NY, USA
Hybrid
 Software Engineering (1) |
|---|
- This hybrid role is based in our Austin, Chicago, DC, or New York City office. In-office attendance is required on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and may increase based on project-based needs and changes to Upside’s in-office policy over time.
- Help cultivate a collaborative and safe environment. You can speak up to name problems, which will invite conversations that will then drive solutions.
- Learn and innovate on the ways we can improve our system. You are able to hone in on gaps in quality, security, performance, and speed of execution and generate buy-in to raise those bars.
- Partner deeply with cross functional teams. Whether it’s aligning with marketing on experimentation, enabling better personalization with data science, or integrating feedback from designers, you are proactive in surfacing insights and turning them into technical action.
- Drive quality through documentation. You record your decisions, communicate tradeoffs, and ensure others can build upon your work.
- Set clear expectations on delivery. We all understand that plans change. You focus on setting an accurate and achievable goal from the start, and then keeping close alignment with key partners when milestones shift.
- Seasoned technical leader with a propensity for improving quality and observability.
- Passionate about building buttery smooth user experiences that drive measurable business value.
- Analytical mindset with a knack for experimenting, learning, iterating, and growing.
- Advanced debugging skills to see user data, build hypotheses of what that data means, and make meaningful improvements.
- A proven ability to apply generative AI across the software development life cycle (from ideation and design to coding, testing, and release) to boost velocity and quality.
Upside runs a cash-back app for everyday retail. Users open the app, claim nearby cashback offers, and then shop at gas stations, groceries, and food outlets as usual to earn money back. The app generates revenue by partnering with retailers and brands that pay commissions for driving traffic and sales, and a portion of that commission is shared with users as cashback. What sets Upside apart is its focus on a wide network of nearby, essential-purchase retailers and its emphasis on privacy, sustainability, and inclusive company culture. Upside aims to level the playing field in brick-and-mortar commerce by increasing consumers' purchasing power while helping retailers boost loyalty and profits.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series D
Total Funding
$165M
Headquarters
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Founded
2015
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Desert De Oro's 350-location rollout achieved 60% ROI and 4.4x transaction lift.
- Varo Bank integration embeds Upside in banking apps, expanding consumer reach.
- Spanish app launch captures millions of Hispanic and bilingual families nationwide.
What critics are saying
- Rakuten and Ibotta's broader online rewards ecosystems divert users from brick-and-mortar focus.
- GasBuddy's fuel-specific cash-back with 50M users captures Upside's core fuel category.
- Walmart and Kroger's in-house loyalty apps eliminate 70% of Upside's grocery partners.
What makes Upside unique
- Performance-based model ties retailer costs only to proven incremental profit generated.
- AI-driven personalization isolates incremental impact across 100,000+ brick-and-mortar locations nationwide.
- Exclusivity provisions lock regional grocers into platform, eliminating nearby competitor access.
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Benefits
Health, vision, & dental insurance
Free lunch
Stock options
Unlimited PTO
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↑ 0%2 year growth
↑ 0%Varo Bank integrates Upside to drive debit card engagement and expand cash back benefits. The integration gives Varo customers access to personalized cash back offers on fuel, groceries, and dining April 6, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C., April 6, 2026 - Upside, a leading digital marketplace dedicated to empowering individuals and businesses financially, today announced a strategic partnership with Varo Bank, the first nationally chartered all-digital consumer bank in the U.S. Through this integration, Upside's cash back offers will be available directly to Varo's customers via its banking app. "Helping customers make progress with their money is at the center of everything we build because Varo is a bank that puts more money into our customers' pockets when they need it," said Wajiha Ahmed, Head of Cashback and Engagement at Varo Bank. "Embedding Upside in the Varo app gives people a simple way to get more from their everyday purchases, with relevant offers in categories such as fuel, groceries and dining. It's a seamless way to deliver meaningful value without adding complexity." The partnership also expands how consumers discover Upside retail partners, introducing the marketplace to more customers through the Varo app. "Mobile banking partners like Varo are an important part of how we scale demand for the retailers we serve," said Chad Crutchfield, Head Of Strategic Partnerships at Upside. "By embedding Upside within banking apps, we increase card engagement for our partners and deliver new, incremental traffic to brick-and-mortar businesses." Varo joins a growing ecosystem of financial partners using Upside to connect cardholders with brick-and-mortar retailers in categories such as fuel, grocery, and restaurants. As distribution expands, the marketplace becomes more valuable for both retailers seeking efficient customer acquisition and consumers looking to get more from their everyday spending. Learn more about Upside's partnerships at upside.com/partnerships. ABOUT UPSIDE Upside is a digital marketplace that connects millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide. Since 2016, Upside's personalized offers have empowered individuals to gain greater purchasing power for their essential needs while helping businesses achieve measurable profits. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform annually, directly benefiting retailers, consumers, and sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.upside.com. ABOUT VARO BANK Varo Bank is the first nationally chartered all-digital consumer bank in the U.S., built from the ground up with a focus on the needs of everyday Americans. From credit building to savings to faster payments, Varo has a complete solution to help people make progress in their financial lives. Varo combines the capabilities and nimbleness of a technology company with the security and oversight of a regulated financial institution, enabling agile product design that provides technology-first solutions such as Varo Believe, a secured card to help build credit; Varo Advance, to help stretch hard-earned dollars between paychecks; and a high-yield savings account, offering one of the nation's highest APYs. Varo has been named as one of the Inc. 5000's 2025 fastest growth companies in the U.S., CNBC's 2023-2025 list of the World's Top Fintech Companies, one of Forbes' World's Best Banks, and Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies. For more information on Varo Advance, Varo Believe, and other offerings such as Perks, visit www.varomoney.com, like Varo Bank on Facebook, and follow Upside on Instagram, TikTok, and X @varobank. (C) 2026 Varo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. Contact the press team. Reach out and its press team will be in touch Last possible date for an interview or receipt of content/image/etc.
Upside expands West Coast grocery footprint through new partnership with The Save Mart Companies. Rollout includes nearly 200 stores in California and Nevada under the Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx banners February 10, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C., February 10, 2026 - Upside has officially launched a full regional rollout with The Save Mart Companies across nearly 200 stores in California and Nevada under the Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx banners. This launch significantly expands its West Coast grocery footprint and demonstrates how regional grocers can compete with national chains. Upside's national platform reaches more than 35 million consumers and connects them with personalized cash back offers at over 100,000 grocery, restaurant, and fuel locations, delivering $2.5 billion in incremental profit to retailers and $1 billion in cash back to consumers. "Our customers expect both quality and value, and balancing those priorities has become more important than ever," said Tamara Pattison, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at The Save Mart Companies. "Upside enables us to reach new shoppers while showcasing the exceptional value and experience our stores offer." Consumer demand for everyday essentials like groceries remains elevated into 2026, as households continue to navigate cost-of-living pressures. At the same time, regional grocers face growing competition from national and discount formats. Through its partnership with Upside, The Save Mart Companies can offer additional value to shoppers while continuing to invest in fresh, locally sourced products. "Engaging shoppers consistently has become harder as grocery trips spread across more retailers," said Nick Worswick, President of Retailer Go-To-Market at Upside. "Upside helps regional grocers win those trips back in a measurable way." Grocery retailers can learn more about partnering with Upside, by visiting www.upside.com/business/grocery. ABOUT UPSIDE Upside is a digital marketplace that connects millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide. Since 2016, Upside's personalized offers have empowered individuals to gain greater purchasing power for their essential needs while helping businesses achieve measurable profits. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform annually, directly benefiting retailers, consumers, and sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.upside.com. ABOUT THE SAVE MART COMPANIES The Save Mart Companies operates more than 200 stores across California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington under the Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, Roth's, and Chuck's Fresh Markets banners. Proud to be one of the West Coast's largest regional, full-service grocery chains, the Company and its 11,000 associates take extra care to provide customers with the freshest food for their families at affordable prices. The Save Mart Companies' philanthropic non-profit organization, The CARES Foundation, provides vital resources for children and families and has donated over $5 million to local communities. For more information, please visit: www.TheSaveMartCompanies.com Contact the press team. Reach out and our press team will be in touch Last possible date for an interview or receipt of content/image/etc.
Desert De Oro Foods launches full rollout with Upside after successful pilot. Multi-brand franchise operator expands Upside across 350 Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut locations following proven profitability and customer growth WASHINGTON, D.C., January 13, 2026 - Upside has deepened its presence in the restaurant industry through a full partnership with Desert De Oro Foods (DDO), a major Yum! Brands franchisee operating roughly 350 Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, and full-service restaurant locations across Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. After a six-month pilot, DDO expanded Upside across its 350 locations, spanning key markets including Phoenix and San Antonio, where early results showed strong customer engagement and repeat visits. "We began with a small test of 71 locations and quickly saw how Upside could reach new local customers and deliver real profit," said Fred Bendel, VP of Operations at Desert De Oro Foods. "Once we validated the results internally, expanding the program across our full portfolio was an easy decision." DDO partnered with Upside to boost customer frequency, repeat visits, and acquisition of new or lapsed guests - and saw measurable gains across all fronts. During the pilot that began in May 2025, the program delivered: * 60% ROI * 4.4x lift in monthly transactions from new and existing customers * 55% reorder rate * 76% of participants were new or infrequent customers, demonstrating Upside's ability to attract new audiences while re-engaging past patrons. "Desert De Oro's full rollout shows that Upside drives real, sustained growth for multi-brand operators," said Mike McNamee, Senior Director of Account Management at Upside. "It's proof that our model delivers measurable results at scale, across different restaurant types and regions." Upside partners with more than 100,000 restaurants, grocery, fuel, and convenience stores nationwide. Its two-sided marketplace connects consumers earning cash back on everyday purchases with retailers gaining incremental profit. This self-reinforcing cycle has delivered over $1 billion in cash back to consumers and $2.2 billion in incremental profit to retailers. Upside is a digital marketplace that connects millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide. Since 2016, Upside's personalized offers have empowered individuals to gain greater purchasing power for their essential needs while helping businesses achieve measurable profits. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform annually, directly benefiting retailers, consumers, and sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.upside.com. Desert de Oro Foods, Inc. (DDO Foods) is a multi-concept restaurant company operating full-service and quick-service brands in Arizona, and across the country. The company operates a diverse portfolio of nationally recognized and locally beloved dining concepts, with a strong focus on hospitality, community involvement, and team development. For more information, visit www.ddofoods.com. Contact the press team. Last possible date for an interview or receipt of content/image/etc.
Fareway partners with Upside to bring personalized cash back offers to shoppers across seven states. 142 stores join the Upside platform, giving customers more ways to get value on groceries and meat products October 20, 2025 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fareway Stores, Inc., a Midwest grocery retailer with locations across Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, has partnered with Upside, the leading digital marketplace that connects retailers with new and existing customers through personalized cash back offers. The partnership brings Upside to all of Fareway's 140+ grocery and meat market stores, giving shoppers more value on the products they buy every day while driving incremental visits and profit for Fareway. "At Fareway, we're always looking for ways to serve our customers better," said Mike McCormick, Chief Retail Officer at Fareway. "Upside provides another way for us to reward our loyal customers while also attracting new shoppers in a competitive grocery market. It's a win-win for our communities and our business." Upside's platform uses anonymized transaction data to deliver personalized, cash back offers that help grocers attract first-time shoppers and encourage repeat visits. For Fareway, this means more customer engagement and more revenue opportunities across all of its store locations. "Fareway is a respected name in the grocery industry, and we're thrilled to bring them onto the Upside platform," said Upside President, Retail Go-to-Market Nick Worswick. "With Fareway's focus on quality and service and our ability to influence consumer behavior, we'll deliver meaningful value to both Fareway's customers and their bottom line." Fareway joins Upside's growing momentum with grocers, securing a regional advantage that limits nearby competitors from participating. This exclusivity steers customers to Fareway locations instead of competitors and drives incremental profit through margin-bound personalized promotions. That advantage is powered by Upside's national scale. The platform reaches more than 35 million consumers and connects them with personalized cash back offers at over 100,000 grocery, restaurant, and fuel locations, delivering $2.5 billion in incremental profit to retailers and $1 billion in cash back to consumers. Grocery retailers can learn more about partnering with Upside, by visiting www.upside.com/business/grocery. Upside is a digital marketplace that connects millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide. Since 2016, Upside's personalized offers have empowered individuals to gain greater purchasing power for their essential needs while helping businesses achieve measurable profits. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform annually, directly benefiting retailers, consumers, and sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.upside.com. Contact the press team. Last possible date for an interview or receipt of content/image/etc.
EarnIn partners with Upside to expand access to everyday cash back. EarnIn customers can now access personalized Upside offers at thousands of food and fuel locations nationwide Washington, D.C., October 14, 2025 - Upside, a digital marketplace that connects retailers with new and existing customers through personalized cash back offers, today announced a partnership with EarnIn, an earnings management platform. Through this integration, millions of EarnIn users can now access Upside offers directly within the EarnIn app, stretching their dollars further on the things they need most. Deals include up to 11% cash back on groceries, 22¢/gal cash back on fuel, and 24% cash back at restaurants. "At EarnIn, our goal has always been to bring people closer to their earnings and give them greater control over their money," said Raghu Mittal, GM, Marketplace at EarnIn. "By bringing Upside's personalized promotions into our app, we're helping our community not only access their wages early but also maximize their purchasing power on the essentials they rely on every day." The integration is powered by an API connection, which enables Upside's dynamic promotions to appear natively in the EarnIn app. This seamless distribution meets users where they already transact while delivering measurable results for Upside retailers. "Partnering with EarnIn expands Upside's mission to put more economic power in people's hands," said Chad Crutchfield, Upside's Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. "It stretches EarnIn users' dollars on essentials and brings our retailers a whole new set of loyal customers." Upside helps consumers earn 3.0x more cash back than other apps on everyday purchases. Reaching 35 million consumers through its app and partner network - up to three times the reach of industry peers - Upside connects shoppers via banking apps, gig economy platforms, and fintech tools. At the same time, retailers use Upside to attract new customers, boost repeat visits, and drive incremental profit through measurable, attributable transactions. EarnIn provides access to more than $25 billion in earnings each year. To date, the app has been downloaded 27 million times, its community has generated more than 750,000 customer referrals, and it has earned over 550,000 five-star reviews. Discover how to bring Upside's personalized promotions to your users: upside.com/partnerships. Upside is a digital marketplace that connects millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide. Since 2016, Upside's personalized offers have empowered individuals to gain greater purchasing power for their essential needs while helping businesses achieve measurable profits. Billions of dollars in commerce run through the Upside platform annually, directly benefiting retailers, consumers, and sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.upside.com. EarnIn offers an earnings management platform that helps people take control of their money and build momentum. With tools like on-demand pay, early paycheck access, credit-building, and real-time streaming pay subject to customer" pay period max, EarnIn provides flexible ways to access and manage earnings - all without interest, hidden fees, or credit checks. EarnIn is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by its Bank partners. See earnIn.com for details. Contact the press team. Last possible date for an interview or receipt of content/image/etc.