Associate Software Engineer

Morningstar•Toronto, ON

2d•$72,950 - $107,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As an Associate Software Engineer on Morningstar’s AI Accelerator team, you will help design, build, and scale core services powering Morningstar Direct’s generative AI capabilities, including the MCP Server, MCP Gateway, and AI Agent. You will work across the full development lifecycle, from ideation and design through implementation, deployment, monitoring, and iteration. You will use AI-assisted development tools such as GitHub Copilot and Claude Code while maintaining high standards for code quality, testing, and documentation. You will collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to build technically robust systems that provide value to users. The role is suited to someone who is curious, takes initiative, and enjoys learning about new technologies. The AI Accelerator team builds production-ready GenAI systems and addresses challenges including document vectorization, caching, scalability, security, and reliability. The team works with Morningstar’s Responsible AI Council on guardrails, PII filtering, moderation, and anonymized evaluation pipelines. Its engineering culture emphasizes impact, collaboration, shared ownership, and continuous learning. The position is based in Chicago, Illinois, under a hybrid policy requiring four days onsite per week.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience.
Experience with at least one modern object-oriented programming language.
Strong collaboration and communication skills, including direct, thoughtful, and transparent discussion.
Solid understanding of computer science fundamentals, including data structures, algorithms, REST APIs, and design patterns.
Interest in building production-grade services using GenAI or agent frameworks.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Python and the PostgreSQL ecosystem.
Familiarity with vector databases and MCP-based architectures.
Basic knowledge of cloud infrastructure such as AWS or Azure.
Interest in financial markets, investing, or fund research.
Familiarity with GenAI or agent frameworks such as LangChain, AWS Bedrock, or Copilot Studio.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and enhance scalable services powering the MCP Server, MCP Gateway, and AI Agent.
Own features end-to-end, from concept through production deployment and monitoring.
Collaborate with product and design partners to understand user needs and deliver meaningful solutions.
Contribute to architectural decisions and continually improve system design and engineering practices.
Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code, with a focus on performance and scalability.
Use logging, monitoring, and debugging tools to maintain system reliability.
Evaluate new tools and technologies pragmatically, balancing innovation with product value.
Create and maintain technical documentation and user-facing guides.
Contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.

Benefits

100% 401(k) match up to 6% of salary.
Stock ownership potential.
Company-provided life insurance equal to 1x salary plus commission.
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, with potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions of up to $500–$2,000 annually for specific plans and coverages.
Medical wellness incentives of up to $300–$600 annually.
Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance.
Trust-based time off.
Six-week paid sabbatical program.
Six-week paid family caregiving leave.
Eight-to-24-week paid parental leave.
Adoption assistance.
Leadership coaching and formal mentorship opportunities.
Annual $1,000 flex stipend for personal education and well-being expenses.
Tuition reimbursement.
Charitable matching gifts program.
Dollars for Doers volunteer program.
Paid volunteering days.
More than 15 employee resource and affinity groups.