Lead Software Engineer, Full-Stack Applications - Ratings Technology

Fitch Group • Toronto, ON

3d • CA$180,000 - CA$220,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Fitch Ratings is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our global Ratings Technology team in Toronto. This is an opportunity to build mission-critical platforms while helping shape the next generation of technology that powers how a world-leading credit ratings agency delivers insights. In this highly visible role, you will combine hands-on engineering leadership with a passion for innovation, partnering with product, analytics, and technology teams to modernize workflows and accelerate responsible AI adoption across the tribe and squad.
You will work closely with talented engineering teams supporting Ratings workflow and analytical applications, influencing both technical architecture and organizational direction. We are looking for a seasoned technologist who enjoys solving complex problems, mentoring others, and turning emerging ideas into practical outcomes. You do not need to be an AI specialist, but you should be excited to explore how AI, automation, and modern engineering practices can improve developer productivity, analyst experience, decision support, and operational excellence. This is a critical leadership role for an organization investing in the future and looking for someone who can inspire curiosity, experimentation, and measurable innovation across teams.

Requirements

• Deep full-stack engineering expertise – 15+ years of hands-on experience building enterprise applications, with expert-level proficiency in Python and REACT, and modern web technologies in production environments
• Architectural mastery and technical depth – Proven track record of designing maintainable, scalable systems; deep understanding of software architecture, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, and the ability to make architectural decisions and live with their consequences
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Leadership and influence – History of mentoring engineers, driving technical decisions through influence, leading complex initiatives, and elevating team capabilities
• Innovation mindset and practical AI fluency – Exceptional analytical abilities, demonstrated curiosity about emerging technologies, comfort experimenting with AI-enabled approaches, sound judgment around responsible usage, and the ability to learn from feedback while helping others build confidence with new ways of working
• Outstanding collaboration and communication skills – Proven success with cross-functional teams, ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, and emotional intelligence to navigate organizational dynamics

Nice To Haves

• Modern engineering practices and DevOps prowess – Deep experience with Docker, Kubernetes/EKS, GitHub, sophisticated CI/CD pipelines, and hands-on cloud expertise (AWS/Azure) with microservices and cloud-native architecture
• AI adoption leadership – Experience championing AI, generative AI, intelligent automation, or developer productivity tooling in an engineering organization; ability to identify practical use cases, define guardrails, coach peers, measure outcomes, and scale successful practices across teams
• Leadership trajectory – Experience in principal engineer, tech lead, or architect roles; history of contributing to technical strategy or organizational direction; thought leadership through talks, writing, or community involvement
• Financial services domain expertise – Experience with analytical workflows, regulatory processes, financial products, credit ratings, or understanding of how technology enables better decision-making
• Agile mastery and change agent experience – Track record of establishing practices, challenging established patterns constructively, and creating space for teams to innovate and take calculated risks

Responsibilities

• Define technical vision and accelerate AI-enabled transformation – Design robust, scalable full-stack applications using Python and React, guide architectural decisions, establish technical standards, and identify high-value opportunities where AI, intelligent automation, and modern data-driven workflows can improve outcomes for analysts and engineering teams
• Lead through influence and mentorship – Partner with product managers, analysts, and senior stakeholders as a trusted technical advisor, mentor engineers across teams, facilitate technical discussions, and foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and psychological safety
• Champion innovation and responsible AI adoption – Challenge existing approaches constructively, encourage experimentation, create and evaluate proofs of concept, promote approved AI tools and responsible usage patterns, and help the tribe and squad turn promising ideas into scalable engineering practices
• Champion engineering excellence and quality – Implement CI/CD pipelines, conduct architecture reviews, solve complex performance and scalability challenges, establish best practices that scale across teams, and balance innovation with pragmatic delivery
• Shape team direction and build an innovation flywheel – Influence team processes, lead strategic technical initiatives spanning multiple teams, share learnings from AI pilots, create space for peer-led adoption, and model the curiosity, humility, and boldness needed to make innovation part of everyday delivery
• Own reliability and navigate complexity – Provide expert troubleshooting for sophisticated issues, maintain system performance at scale, balance multiple strategic priorities, and deliver excellence in fast-paced Agile environments

Benefits

• Strategic leadership with organizational impact
• AI-forward innovation culture
• Continuous learning and career growth
• Training, certifications, conferences, mentorship opportunities, and clear paths to principal/architect/leadership tracks
• Flexibility and world-class environment
• Hybrid flexibility
• Competitive compensation reflecting your seniority
• Comprehensive benefits
• Culture that values both innovation and work-life harmony

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior