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Ascent
Ascent is the industry's leading compliance automation solution.
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Software Engineer, Python

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Who We Are

Ascent is a Chicago-based startup that closed its Series A funding round of $6M in 2018. Our engineering team is scrappy, creative, and collaborative with a “Yes, and” mentality. While we’re committed to doing great work, we also cherish having an empathetic, fun environment where everyone feels safe sharing their ideas and problem-solving together. We prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and believe strongly that a team with different backgrounds and perspectives produces better results.

Together, we’re solving a $64 billion global problem in regulatory compliance. Watch this video to learn more about what we do.

Who You Are

You will thrive at Ascent if you are highly self-motivated and self-directed. In your professional work, you consider your end user to be of highest importance. You are committed to mentorship and lifelong learning, and desire autonomy and full ownership of your products.

Responsibilities

The tools you create for efficient large-scale data ingestion, combined with the usability of the internal processing tools for our internal domain experts, will determine how fast our company can scale. Primary responsibilities:

  • Use creativity and independent thinking to solve technical problems.
  • Help build a large-scale data collection system.
  • Implement backend and frontend features on a Django App.
  • Collaborate with our internal domain experts to create the tools that will maximize their efficiency.

Minimum Skills and Experience

  • 3+ years programming background in a high level language such Ruby, Python and/or JavaScript, preferably Python
  • Experience writing web applications, preferably using Django
  • Ability to write SQL and use an ORM
  • Commitment to thorough tests and documentation for maintainable code-bases
  • Empathy for and ability to listen to our internal customers and respond to their needs
  • Experience with web scraping

Bonus Points

  • Experience with Selenium
  • Experience with Docker

Benefits

Ascent employees enjoy many benefits and perks, including:

  • Competitive compensation
  • Medical, dental, vision, mental health insurance – with premiums fully paid by Ascent
  • 401K offered
  • Unlimited PTO and Bank Holidays
  • Flexible work schedule
  • As much RAM as you can fit in a Macbook Pro
  • Professional development stipend
  • Top floor office in Prudential Plaza with an amazing view of the park/lake and Pedway access
  • The opportunity to work with smart people on challenging problems!
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Balaka Das
Senior Regulatory Knowledge Analyst
Respecting Differences
A DEI Platform Everyone Can Stand On
Balaka Das and the DEI committee believe in more than just surface-level diversity events and company statements. For employee voices to be heard, the platform must be as safe as it is foundational. The DEI media group discusses social topics through the lens of movies and documentaries aiming to provide all inclusive leadership and workplace. During the BLM and Stop Asian Hate movements, an open channel allowed employees to speak freely and express concerns. By focusing DEI initiatives on transparency and learning, Das wants to take care of her colleagues’ sense of security and well-being.
Balaka Das and the DEI committee believe in more than just surface-level diversity events and company statements. For employee voices to be heard, the platform must be as safe as it is foundational. The DEI media group discusses social topics through the lens of movies and documentaries aiming to provide all inclusive leadership and workplace. During the BLM and Stop Asian Hate movements, an open channel allowed employees to speak freely and express concerns. By focusing DEI initiatives on transparency and learning, Das wants to take care of her colleagues’ sense of security and well-being.
Employees will show their best results at work knowing that their voice is heard and they are valued, where there is a safe platform to express their concerns and views.
Alexandra Lehr
Director of Regulatory Intelligence
ACCELERATED CAREER GROWTH
Team members that steer each other toward their targets
Career development is facilitated by caring mentors at every stage of growth. Alexandra Lehr shared that her manager “helped me cultivate my leadership skills early on so that I was ready to take on a management opportunity.” After going from analyst to director of her department in just three years, Lehr helped create a career development framework and competency model to recalibrate responsibilities consistent with Ascent’s growth: “People feel their roles now mirror their responsibilities and expectations and that the path for growth is clear.”
Career development is facilitated by caring mentors at every stage of growth. Alexandra Lehr shared that her manager “helped me cultivate my leadership skills early on so that I was ready to take on a management opportunity.” After going from analyst to director of her department in just three years, Lehr helped create a career development framework and competency model to recalibrate responsibilities consistent with Ascent’s growth: “People feel their roles now mirror their responsibilities and expectations and that the path for growth is clear.”
Mentors have helped shape my career growth at Ascent, so it has been very important to me as a leader to offer that same level of support and opportunity to my team members.
Jon Leitner
President and CRO
STRONG CONNECTIONS
Staying Connected In a Remote-First Culture
For Jon Leitner, remote work is not a novel concept. After 20 years, he’s come to appreciate companies that value an employee’s output as opposed to their geographic location. He especially enjoys the remote culture at Ascent, where team members have both the flexibility to work from anywhere as well as opportunities to convene in person. From virtual holiday parties and escape room challenges to monthly work meetups, Leitner feels a sense of unity among employees all the time. A remote model might take getting used to, but at Ascent, the tangible benefits make a strong case for its longevity.
For Jon Leitner, remote work is not a novel concept. After 20 years, he’s come to appreciate companies that value an employee’s output as opposed to their geographic location. He especially enjoys the remote culture at Ascent, where team members have both the flexibility to work from anywhere as well as opportunities to convene in person. From virtual holiday parties and escape room challenges to monthly work meetups, Leitner feels a sense of unity among employees all the time. A remote model might take getting used to, but at Ascent, the tangible benefits make a strong case for its longevity.
I think we have a great model, one that works and will stand over time.

What are Ascent Perks + Benefits

Ascent Benefits Overview

Everyone brings a unique set of skills and talents, and we want to take advantage of everything you have to offer. We also want to make sure you get as much out of this opportunity as you put in, and we’ll give you the support you need for Ascent to be a transformational period of growth in your career.

Our team enjoys a number of benefits and perks, including:

Competitive compensation
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; premiums paid 95% for the individual
- Medical HSA/FSAs
- Life insurance
- 401K
- Disability benefits
- Commuter benefits
- Dependent Care FSA
- Flexible PTO
- Parental Care Leave
- Backup child/senior/pet care stipend
- Professional development stipend
- Charitable matching gift program
- The opportunity to work with smart people on challenging problems!

Culture
Volunteer in local community
Partners with nonprofits
Charitable Matching Gift Program - annual match of employee donations to organizations of their choice
Open door policy
OKR operational model
Team based strategic planning
Pair programming
Flexible work schedule
Ascent offers a completely flexible scheduling and work from home policy.
Remote work program
Diversity
Dedicated diversity and inclusion staff
Highly diverse management team
Mandated unconscious bias training
Diversity manifesto
Mean gender pay gap below 10%
Diversity employee resource groups
Hiring practices that promote diversity
Health Insurance + Wellness
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Disability insurance
Employer-paid Long Term Disability provided, covering up to 60% of annual salary. Voluntary Short Term Disability is also available.
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Health insurance
Multiple plan options with Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well an HSA (Heath Savings Account).
Life insurance
Pet insurance
Wellness programs
Mental health benefits
Financial & Retirement
401(K)
Company equity
Charitable contribution matching
Child Care & Parental Leave
Childcare benefits
Ascent offers Dependent Care FSA
Generous parental leave
We provide up to 12 weeks of parental leave for the primary caretaker. Ascent also provides 3 weeks of leave for the secondary caretaker.
Family medical leave
Return-to-work program post parental leave
Vacation + Time Off
Unlimited vacation policy
Generous PTO
Sabbatical
Paid holidays
Paid sick days
Office Perks
Commuter benefits
Company-sponsored outings
Some meals provided
Company-sponsored happy hours
Home-office stipend for remote employees
Onsite gym
There is an on-site gym in Prudential Plaza which is free to employees.
Professional Development
Job training & conferences
Ascent offers a generous professional development stipend per year.
Lunch and learns
Ascent hosts bi-weekly lunch and learn meetings with internal and external speakers.
Promote from within
Continuing education stipend
Online course subscriptions available
Customized development tracks
Paid industry certifications

Additional Perks + Benefits

We want to create an environment where people can do their best work. That means supporting our employees in their careers, in their health, and in their lives. We're always looking for ways to concretely demonstrate these values. For example, we pay 95% of our employees' individual health premiums!

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