Principal AI Engineer - Vice President

474 MS Services Group, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Inclusive benefits

Job summary

Morgan Stanley in New York is seeking senior backend engineers to join the LIFC Technology team. You will help modernize core accounting and P&L platforms, consolidating legacy workflows into a cloud-native web platform used daily by Finance and Treasury.

Ideal candidates have strong experience with Java, Scala and Python, and a track record building data-heavy, scalable services. This role offers high visibility, platform influence, and opportunities to work across finance, product and UI

Qualifications

• 10+ years of backend engineering experience.
• Solid grasp of data structures, algorithms, and system design.
• Experience with data-heavy or workflow-driven systems.
• Ownership mindset and willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate backend services using Java, Scala, and Python.
• Deploy services on Databricks and cloud platforms.
• Design secure, scalable APIs for finance workflows and analytics.
• Collaborate with Finance, Product Control, and UI/reporting teams.
• Apply strong engineering fundamentals (data structures, testing, code quality).
• Learn and apply new technologies, including AI/ML and prompt-based approaches, where they add value.

Skills

Backend engineering

Java

Scala

Python

Data structures

System design

Tools

Databricks

Cloud platforms

Job description

In the Technology division, we leverage innovation to build the connections and capabilities that power our Firm, enabling our clients and colleagues to redefine markets and shape the future of our communities. We have multiple Software Engineering positions open at Associate, Director and VP levels, which are part of the job family responsible for developing and maintaining software solutions that support business needs.

Since 1935, Morgan Stanley is known as a global leader in financial services, always evolving and innovating to better serve our clients and our communities in more than 40 countries around the world. Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm, providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services in over 40 countries. The firm is recognized for its commitment to innovation, integrity, and delivering value to clients, shareholders, and communities worldwide.

The Role

Join the LIFC Technology team to help modernize core accounting and P&L platforms used daily by Finance and Treasury. We are consolidating legacy and spreadsheet‑driven workflows into a single, cloud‑native web platform that supports reporting, exception analysis, accounting adjustments, and daily P&L sign‑off. This role is ideal for strong backend engineers who enjoy working on data‑intensive, business‑critical systems and partnering closely with finance users.

What You’ll Do

• Build and operate backend services using Java, Scala, and Python
• Deploy services on Databricks and cloud platforms
• Design secure, scalable APIs for finance workflows and analytics
• Collaborate with Finance, Product Control, and UI/reporting teams
• Apply strong engineering fundamentals (data structures, testing, code quality)
• Learn and apply new technologies, including AI/ML and prompt‑based approaches, where they add value

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of strong backend engineering experience
• Solid grasp of data structures, algorithms, and system design
• Experience with data‑heavy or workflow‑driven systems
• Ownership mindset and willingness to learn

Why Join

• Work on core finance systems with real business impact
• High‑visibility role with platform and architectural influence
• Collaborative team modernizing critical finance workflows

Tech Stack at a Glance

• Backend: Java, Scala, Python
• Data / Compute: Databricks
• Cloud: Cloud‑native services & deployments
• Frontend / Reporting: Angular, Power BI, Tableau
• Focus Areas: Accounting workflows, P&L, controls, data quality, AI‑assisted analytics

We have a track record of innovation and passion for unlocking new opportunities, we help our clients raise, manage and allocate capital. We do this by offering a wide range of investment banking, securities, wealth management and asset management services.

All that we do at Morgan Stanley is driven by our five core values: do the right thing, put clients first, lead with exceptional ideas, commit to diversity and inclusion, and give back. These aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day, ensuring we do what's best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees around the world. And at the core of our success are the people who drive it - relentless collaborators and creative thinkers who are fueled by diverse thinking and experiences.

Wherever you are in our 1,200 global offices, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest in an environment where you are empowered to achieve your full potential.

We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work‑life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry.

Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence. Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.

It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MORGAN STANLEY:

At Morgan Stanley, we raise, manage and allocate capital for our clients – helping them reach their goals. We do it in a way that’s differentiated – and we’ve done that for 90 years. Our values – putting clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back – aren’t just beliefs, they guide the decisions we make every day to do what’s best for our clients, communities and more than 80,000 employees in 1,200 offices across 42 countries. At Morgan Stanley, you’ll find an opportunity to work alongside the best and the brightest, in an environment where you are supported and empowered. Our teams are relentless collaborators and creative thinkers, fueled by their diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are proud to support our employees and their families at every point along their work‑life journey, offering some of the most attractive and comprehensive employee benefits and perks in the industry. There’s also ample opportunity to move about the business for those who show passion and grit in their work. To learn more about our offices across the globe, please copy and paste https://www.morganstanley.com/about-us/global-offices into your browser.

Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $150,000 and $210,000 per year at the commencement of employment. However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workforce that is diverse in experience and background. Our recruiting efforts reflect our strong commitment to a culture of inclusion, where individuals are hired, developed, and advanced based on their skills and talents.

Our workforce reflects a broad cross-section of the global communities in which we operate, bringing a variety of backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and experiences. For more information, please visit: https://www.morganstanley.com/people-opportunities/eeo.

At Morgan Stanley, we advise, originate, trade, manage and distribute capital for people, governments and institutions, always with a standard of excellence and guided by our core values. Morgan Stanley is dedicated to providing first‑class service to our clients, in a way that reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable future and fostering stronger communities around the world. In each line of business, we strive to demonstrate our belief in the power of transformative thinking, innovative strategies and leading‑edge solutions—and in the ability of capital to work for the benefit of all society.