Principal Software Engineer

Morningstar, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 117,957 - 123,010; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k match up to 6%

Stock ownership potential

Life insurance - 1x salary + com

Health benefits (medical/dental/vision

Disability insurance

Sabbatical program

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

Charitable matching

Job summary

Morningstar, Inc. is seeking an experienced software leader to architect scalable AI and cloud-native solutions across AWS, Azure, and OpenAI. You will mentor engineering teams, drive machine-learning model deployment, and own DevOps practices including Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines.

The role emphasizes performance, reliability, security, and cost optimization in a financial data context. The position requires a strong technical background, education in CS/CE/IT, and 3+ years of

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in a technology field with 6+ years (or 8+ for bachelor's path) of software engineering experience.
• 5+ years designing scalable AI and cloud-native solutions on AWS/Azure/OpenAI or similar.
• 5+ years building distributed and real-time software products.
• 3+ years mentoring and leading engineering teams.
• 3+ years in machine learning model development and production deployment.
• 3+ years with DevOps, CI/CD, and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).

Responsibilities

• Architect and lead scalable AI and cloud-native solutions using AWS/Azure/OpenAI.
• Lead AI-powered transcription platform development to improve speed and efficiency.
• Design, code, debug, and maintain high-performance software systems.
• Provide technical leadership across multiple engineering teams.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, DevOps, and stakeholders to align tech with business goals.
• Enforce coding standards and best practices for reliability and security.
• Lead DevOps with Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS Fargate; implement CI/CD with SonarQube.
• Make strategic infra decisions and optimize costs.
• Participate in team meetings to foster innovation and rigor.

Skills

Python

Java

Machine learning

Software architecture

Leadership

Agile methodologies

DevOps practices

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / Engineering / IT

Master’s degree in Computer Science / Engineering / IT

Tools

AWS

Azure

OpenAI

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS Fargate

SonarQube

Job description

Responsibilities

• Architect and lead the development of scalable AI and cloud-native Agentic solutions using OpenAI, Azure, and AWS to enhance financial data acquisition and automation capabilities.
• Spearhead the design and implementation of AI-powered transcription platforms, driving significant improvements in speed and efficiency (10%).
• Design, code, debug, maintain, and upgrade high-performance software systems, ensuring system performance, reliability, and maintainability (10%).
• Provide technical leadership across multiple engineering teams, guiding day-to-day development activities and architectural decision-making (10%).
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Application Architects, Systems Engineers, DevOps/SRE, and business stakeholders to ensure alignment between technical solutions and business objectives (10%).
• Advocate and enforce global best practices for product performance, reliability, scalability, security, and code reusability (5%).
• Conduct architectural design and system planning, ensuring scalable solutions that balance technical excellence with financial sector business needs (20%).
• Enforce coding standards and software engineering best practices for applications across development teams (10%).
• Lead DevOps efforts with Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS Fargate; implement CI/CD pipelines with SonarQube and automated infrastructure deployments (10%).
• Make strategic infrastructure decisions, monitor operational costs, and implement optimizations to reduce spend and improve system efficiency (10%).
• Attend team meetings to facilitate brainstorming, problem-solving, and project updates, fostering a culture of innovation and technical rigor (5%).

Remote work requests will be considered consistent with company’s remote work policy.

Job Requirements

This position requires a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a technology-related field or foreign equivalent and 8 years of software engineering experience in Lead, Principal, Senior, Associate Software Engineer, Developer, or related position; or a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a technology-related field or foreign equivalent and 6 years of software engineering experience in Lead, Principal, Senior, Associate Software Engineer, Developer, or related position.

• 5 years of experience in designing scalable AI and cloud-native solutions using AWS, Azure, OpenAI, or similar cloud platforms.
• 5 years of experience developing commercial quality software products and solutions particularly focused on distributed and real-time systems.
• 5 years of experience with a variety of technology components and stacks, including Python and Java.
• 5 years of experience with performance, reliability, scalability, security, and reusability tactics and strategies.
• 5 years of experience defining, refining, and maintaining application architectures for sophisticated end-user software products.5 years of experience with troubleshooting and debugging skills.
• 3 years of experience mentoring and leading engineering teams.
• 3 years of experience in machine learning, including model development and deployment in production environments.
• 3 years of experience building and delivering proof-of-concepts (POCs) to validate technical solutions.
• 3 years of experience with AWS cloud platforms and SaaS architectures.
• 3 years of experience in DevOps, implementing CI/CD pipelines, containerizing using Docker and orchestration using Kubernetes/AWS Fargate.
• 3 years of experience in agile development practices including scrum and scaled agile.
• Will accept any suitable combination of education, training, and experience.

Must possess unrestricted right to work in the U.S. in this position.

Base Salary Compensation: $117,957 - $123,010 per year

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
  • 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary
  • 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 Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
  • Tuition Reimbursement
• Social Health
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office 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.