Engineering & Quality - Software Engineer, Associate Director

Associate Director, Full-Stack Applications – Credit Module

As one of the world’s top three credit ratings agencies, Fitch Ratings plays a critical role in global capital markets by providing credit analysis, ratings, research, and commentary to financial market participants. For over 100 years, Fitch Ratings has been creating value for global markets through its rigorous analysis and deep expertise, which have resulted in a variety of market leading tools, methodologies, indices, research, and analytical products. Fitch Ratings is part of Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries, which also includes Fitch Solutions. With dual headquarters in London and New York, Fitch Group is owned by Hearst. 

Join our fast‑growing Toronto innovation hub, where we’re building production‑grade AI to reshape global credit decisions. Here, you won’t just ship features—you’ll help reinvent an industry using decades‑deep proprietary data and a modern tech stack, free from heavy legacy. Backed by full enterprise support, you’ll build reliable, explainable intelligence at real scale within a collaborative, outcome‑driven community. If you’re looking for purposeful work, constant learning, and a place where your impact and growth accelerate—this is where you’ll thrive. 

Want to learn more about our Toronto Innovation Hub? Visit: https://careers.fitch.group/go/Toronto-Innovation-Hub/9713801/ 

Fitch Ratings is seeking an Associate Director to join our global Technology team in Toronto. This is your opportunity to not just build mission-critical applications, but to shape the future direction of technology that powers how a world-leading credit ratings agency delivers insights. Your leadership, architectural decisions, and vision will directly impact analysts, executives, and decision-makers who shape global financial markets. 

You'll work closely with our talented engineering teams supporting Ratings workflow and analytical applications, influencing both technical architecture and organizational direction. We're looking for a seasoned technologist who thrives on challenging assumptions, experimenting with emerging technologies (especially AI), and pushing boundaries—not an MLE or AI specialist, but a full-stack engineer who's curious, unafraid to question the status quo, and excited to explore how AI can transform analytical workflows.  

The initial assignment will be to develop and maintain Credit Module—our strategic analytical platform that empowers Credit analysts to rate issuers and financial instruments with unprecedented efficiency. Already supporting hundreds of analysts in production for over a year, this application is rapidly scaling to revolutionize how Fitch delivers insights across all business lines, replacing legacy tactical tools. 

What We Offer: 

• Strategic influence with immediate impact – Build applications used by analysts worldwide that drive critical credit rating decisions, with high visibility to senior stakeholders and the ability to shape product direction and technical architecture 

• Innovation-first culture and experimentation – Permission to challenge established patterns, explore emerging technologies including AI, and drive proof-of-concepts with access to cutting-edge tools and a community that celebrates curiosity and bold thinking 

• Continuous learning and career growth – Access to training, certifications, conferences, and a community that values curiosity and staying ahead of trends, with AI-powered development tools at your fingertips and opportunities to establish yourself as a thought leader 

• Flexibility and world-class environment – Work from premier offices in London, Manchester, or Toronto with hybrid flexibility, competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a culture that values both innovation and work-life harmony 

We'll Count on You To: 

• Architect game-changing full-stack solutions – Design and build robust, scalable full-stack applications using Java, Spring Boot and REACT that transform complex analytical requirements into elegant, high-performance systems that underpin Fitch's ratings workflows 

• Partner with cross-functional teams as a trusted advisor – Collaborate directly with product managers, analysts, and stakeholders to understand their challenges, co-create solutions, and ensure technical implementations balance ambition with engineering excellence and best practices 

• Champion quality, innovation, and AI exploration – Establish technical standards, conduct code reviews, implement CI/CD pipelines, and experiment with integrating AI/ML capabilities into applications while solving complex performance and architectural challenges 

• Drive Agile excellence and mentor others – Thrive in fast-paced Agile environments delivering high-quality features, facilitate knowledge sharing sessions, document insights, and create an environment where continuous learning, experimentation, and growth thrive 

• Own product reliability and support – Manage competing priorities across multiple projects ensuring on-time delivery, provide expert third-line support troubleshooting complex issues, and maintain system performance at scale 

• Commitment to continuous learning – Track record of staying current with emerging technologies and applying new knowledge to solve business challenges, with a growth mindset and demonstrated ability to quickly master new tools and methodologies 

What You Need to Have: 

• Proven full-stack engineering expertise – 10+ years of hands-on experience building enterprise applications, with strong proficiency in Java, Spring Boot, 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 take ownership of 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 

• Visionary problem-solving and growth mindset – Exceptional analytical abilities, demonstrated curiosity about emerging technologies, track record of experimentation and learning from failures, comfort with ambiguity, and ability to bring your whole self while remaining open to others' perspectives 

• 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 

What Would Make You Stand Out: 

• DevOps prowess – Deep experience with Docker, Kubernetes/EKS container orchestration, GitHub, and CI/CD pipelines that enable rapid, reliable deployments 

• Cloud expertise – Hands-on knowledge of AWS or Azure, particularly with microservices architecture and cloud-native application development 

• AI curiosity and exploration mindset – Genuine interest in how AI/ML, generative AI, or intelligent automation could transform workflows; experience experimenting with new technologies and evaluating practical applications; comfort with emerging technology ambiguity 

• Financial services background – Experience with lending workflows, regulatory processes, financial products, credit ratings, and financial analysis 

• 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 

If you are a seasoned technologist with a passion for innovation and a desire to develop high-quality software solutions, we would love to hear from you!