Software Engineer

About the Role

Morningstar believes in empowering investors through research, data, design, and technology. Morningstar Direct ( https://www.morningstar.com/products/direct) is Morningstar’s flagship software product that helps Asset and Wealth Managers build and manage their portfolios and communicate with their clients. Our team is building the next generation of analytical tools in Morningstar Direct called Analytics Lab ( https://www.morningstar.com/products/direct/analytics-lab).

We love working with technology that is changing the way quantitative analytics is being done in the world. We believe in providing users access to Morningstar’s data via tools and programming languages that are already loved and used by the data science community. Our vision is to “stand on the shoulders of giants” and use many of the open-source data analytics technologies to build our platform. You will dive deep into open-source software projects and learn how they are used in financial engineering.

We are deeply inquisitive; we do not take “that’s just the way it’s always been done” or “that’s just best practice” as valid answers and instead seek to fine-tune our product development process for maximum impact. We are empowered professionals who are given problems to solve and not tickets to implement. We value team productivity over individual productivity and this culture of “giving” means we enjoy and highly value collaborating with our teammates.

Job Responsibilities:

In this role, you will be an associate software engineer in a cross-functional squad that’s building out Analytics Lab. This squad will be largely in North America. As part of the team, you will also work closely with the quantitative analysts (aka data scientists), product managers, and software engineers to help shape the product and content. You will be exposed to all aspects of product development: design of user experience, system architecture, model development, productionizing models, API/library/CLI development, data visualization tools, code reviews, automated testing, infrastructure as code, systems monitoring & reliability, and support.

Qualifications:

• Friendly and enjoys working in a collaborative team with excellent spoken and written communication skills.
• Humble, honest, and to the point.
• Experience with at least one programming language.
• Solid understanding of computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, design patterns.

Honestly, these are here to give you a sense of what tools we work with. We really mean these to be “nice to haves.”

• Experience with engineer practices such as writing design documents, performing code reviews, pair programming, taking part in agile product development processes.
• Experience working with cloud services, preferably AWS
• Experience building/using RESTful APIs
• Experience with databases such as Postgres, Redshift, MS SQL
• Experience with Linux.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, application protocols, security)
• Experience with Python.
• Experience with tools like Pandas, Jupyter, Numpy, Matplotlib
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, Teamcity, or CodeDeploy.
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes.
• Experience with infrastructure as code tools. Terraform is a plus, but any tools in this area such as CloudFormation, Ansible, Chef, or Puppet.
• Experience with cluster computing tools such as Spark, Dask, and AWS EMR
• Experience with AWS data lake tools, such as Lake Formation, Athena, and Glue
• Experience with a tool like Domino Data Labs, SageMaker, Iguazio, Dotscience, Gradient, Comet
• Experience with Flask, Django, or other web app development frameworks.
• Experience with web application development (HTML/CSS and a JavaScript Framework)

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
  • 75% 401k match up to 7%
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health 
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
  • Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance

• Emotional Health 
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Education Stipend
  • Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health 
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Total Cash Compensation Range

$87,000.00 - 147,900.00 USD Annual

Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to work remotely and collaborate in-person each week. While some positions are available as fully remote, we’ve found that we’re at our best when we’re purposely together on a regular basis, typically three days each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you’ll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.

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