Associate Software Engineer

Responsibilities:

• Backend & Data Development: Support designing and building backend services that help with data processing, publication, and delivery to downstream applications. Assist in developing APIs and cloud-native components using AWS services.
• Application Maintenance & Modernization: Help maintain, refactor, and migrate existing applications and services to modern, scalable, AWS-based architectures.
• System Reliability: Contribute to improving performance, resiliency, and delivery speed by assisting with monitoring, logging, and optimization following best practices for scalability and maintainability.
• Collaboration: Work closely with senior engineers, product teams, data engineers, and DevOps/SRE partners to align backend and cloud solutions with business needs.
• Engineering Practices: Write clean, maintainable, and testable code. Participate in code reviews and follow modern engineering standards.
• Learning & Growth: Stay current on AWS cloud technologies and AI-assisted development tools. Demonstrate curiosity about applying AI and automation to improve engineering productivity and system efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Problem-Solving: Ability to analyze technical challenges, propose solutions, and deliver reliable results with guidance.
• Methodology: Familiarity with Agile/Scrum and modern software development practices.
• Security Awareness: Basic understanding of secure service design, API security concepts, and AWS security best practices.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Experience: 0-2 years of professional software development experience, with exposure to backend development and cloud-based systems.

Technical Skills:

• Solid programming foundation in C#/.NET (preferred) or another backend language.
• Experience building or consuming REST APIs; familiarity with event-driven patterns is a plus.
• Hands-on exposure to AWS services such as Lambda, SQS, SNS, API Gateway, S3, and RDS. Basic understanding of serverless patterns is preferred.
• Experience with CI/CD workflows and Infrastructure as Code tools (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation) is a plus.
• Familiarity with SQL/NoSQL databases and basic data workflows (plus).
• Scripting experience with Python for automation, small data tasks, or AI experimentation (plus).
• Frontend exposure with Vue.js or other modern JavaScript frameworks (plus).
• AI/ML Exposure: Interest or basic experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot), prompt engineering, or integrating simple AI APIs. Understanding of how AI can support automation, testing, or data workflows is a strong plus

We're only considering candidates who are authorized to work permanently in the US.
Total Compensation Range:
$70,825 - $120,425
Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
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.