Junior Back-end Developer

Callan • Rideau Lakes, ON

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Callan is seeking a new team member to join our Information Technology team in one of the following Callan locations: San Francisco headquarters, or Portland, OR. As a Junior/Early Career Back-End Developer at Callan, a leading independent investment consulting firm, you will have an opportunity to join our small, close-knit engineering team at Callan. Our team builds and maintains CallanDNA, a single, unified web platform that supports the core of our business — from data collection with investment managers, to analysis tools for our analysts, specialists, and consultants, to reporting for our institutional investor clients.
In this role, you’ll begin by owning and maintaining three TypeScript-based microservices responsible for generating Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets, all integrated with our central GraphQL API. As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute more broadly across the back end, including our GraphQL API and PostgreSQL data infrastructure. This is a long-term position at a company built on stability, craftsmanship, and people who genuinely enjoy their work.
Our goal is to identify a candidate with a genuine interest in investments, data analysis, and reporting, has intellectual curiosity, strong project and time management skills, and a true appreciation for the value of building strong, trusted relationships with clients and fellow Callan colleagues.
This position will be based in San Francisco or Portland office and will be expected to work a hybrid schedule with a minimum of 2 days a week in the office.

Requirements

• Solid foundational knowledge of TypeScript
• Familiarity with GraphQL concepts and APIs
• Basic SQL skills, including writing queries and understanding relational schemas
• Experience with Git-based workflows (Bitbucket experience is a plus, not required)
• Exposure to AWS or serverless architecture is preferred, not required
• Understanding of Office Open XML (OOXML) — knowledge of how Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are structured under the hood
• Ability to collaborate effectively on cross-functional teams
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently
• Demonstrated ability to receive and integrate feedback
• Effective and professional communication and analytical skills
• Exceptional problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize work to meet deadlines even during the busiest times
• Build and maintain relationships internally and externally
• Advanced technical skills with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and Access
• Understanding security protocols and data protection measures
• Passionate about learning and seeking information to uncover answers and generate new ideas, including the ability to ask for help when needed
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Resourceful and has a great deal of patience
• Responsive, detail-oriented, and accurate with the ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently without supervision in an unstructured environment, managing multiple deadlines
• Emphasis on team over self
• Completion of post-secondary education, such as coding bootcamp and relevant works experience required.
• Minimum 3 – 5+ years of work experience in backend development, including working with and building APIs

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in computer science, computer engineering, or related field is preferred
• Familiarity with the investment management industry (CFA or similar credentials are a plus, not required)
• Experience with any of the following is a strong plus: PPTXGenJS — PowerPoint generation, pptx-automizer — Template-based PowerPoint automation, excel4node — Excel spreadsheet generation, docx (docxjs) — Word document generation

Responsibilities

• Maintain and extend three TypeScript microservices running on AWS Lambda that generate Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents
• Learn and contribute to our GraphQL API, the backbone of our back-end architecture
• Gradually take on responsibilities in PostgreSQL (Amazon RDS), including creating and managing tables and views
• Collaborate with the team using Jira for ticket tracking and Bitbucket for version control
• Test, debug issues, write clean and maintainable TypeScript, and document your work as you learn the system
• Learn, understand, and implement security protocols and data protection measures
• Attend in-person and Zoom meetings to collaborate with the team
• Partner with senior team members to improve skills and gain experience in back-end development

Benefits

• A generous compensation and benefits package, including base salary, bonus, 401(k) matching, profit-sharing, health/medical/dental/vision benefits, monthly communications stipend, tuition assistance, and more
• Training for all Callan databases, research, and other systems
• Access to team-building events, community outreach opportunities, and wellness events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree