Lead Software Engineer, Full-Stack Applications – Ratings Technology Fitch Ratings is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our global Ratings 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. This is a critical leadership role for an organization expanding rapidly and building for the future, offering tremendous upward potential for the right visionary.

What We Offer

• Strategic leadership with organizational impact – Shape technical architecture and product direction for applications used by analysts worldwide, with high visibility to senior leadership and the ability to influence technology strategy across Ratings Technology
• 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 – Training, certifications, conferences, mentorship opportunities, and clear paths to principal/architect/leadership tracks as you 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 reflecting your seniority, comprehensive benefits, and a culture that values both innovation and work-life harmony

We'll Count on You To:

• Define technical vision and architect game-changing solutions – Design robust, scalable full-stack applications using Java/Springboot and REACT, drive architectural decisions, establish technical standards, and lead exploration of AI/ML integration opportunities that transform workflows
• Lead through influence and mentorship – Partner with product managers, analysts, and senior stakeholders as a trusted technical advisor, mentor engineers across teams, facilitate technical discussions, and foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and psychological safety
• Challenge the status quo and drive innovation – Question existing approaches, champion better solutions even when uncomfortable, experiment with emerging technologies, create proofs-of-concept, and push the organization toward what's possible rather than what's comfortable
• Champion engineering excellence and quality – Implement CI/CD pipelines, conduct architecture reviews, solve complex performance and scalability challenges, establish best practices that scale across teams, and balance innovation with pragmatic delivery
• Shape organizational and team direction – Influence team processes, lead strategic technical initiatives spanning multiple teams, bring fresh perspectives while respecting institutional knowledge, and model the curiosity, humility, and boldness needed across the organization
• Own reliability and navigate complexity – Provide expert troubleshooting for sophisticated issues, maintain system performance at scale, balance multiple strategic priorities, and deliver excellence in fast-paced Agile environments

What You Need to Have:

• Deep full-stack engineering expertise – 15+ years of hands-on experience building enterprise applications, with expert-level proficiency in Java, Springboot, 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 live with 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:

• Modern engineering practices and DevOps prowess – Deep experience with Docker, Kubernetes/EKS, GitHub, sophisticated CI/CD pipelines, and hands-on cloud expertise (AWS/Azure) with microservices and cloud-native architecture
• 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
• Leadership trajectory – Experience in principal engineer, tech lead, or architect roles; history of contributing to technical strategy or organizational direction; thought leadership through talks, writing, or community involvement
• Financial services domain expertise – Experience with analytical workflows, regulatory processes, financial products, credit ratings, or understanding of how technology enables better decision-making
• 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, a desire to shape organizational direction, and the courage to question the status quo, we would love to hear from you! Why Fitch? At Fitch Group, the combined power of our global perspectives is what differentiates us. Our global network of colleagues comes together to accomplish things greater than they ever could alone.

Every team member is essential to our business, and each perspective is critical to our success. We embrace a diverse culture that encourages a free exchange of ideas, guaranteeing your voice will be heard and your work will have an impact, regardless of seniority.

We are building incredible things at Fitch and we invite you to join us on our journey.

About Fitch Group Fitch Group is a global leader in financial information services with operations in more than 30 countries. Wholly owned by the Hearst Corporation, we are comprised of three main businesses: Fitch Ratings | Fitch Solutions | Fitch Learning.

For more information please visit our websites: www.fitchratings.com | www.fitchsolutions.com | www.fitchlearning.com

Fitch is committed to providing global securities markets with objective, timely, independent and forward-looking credit opinions. To protect Fitch's credibility and reputation, our employees must take every precaution to avoid conflicts of interests or any appearance of a conflict of interest. Should you be successful in the recruitment process at Fitch Ratings you will be asked to declare any securities holdings and other potential conflicts prior to commencing employment. If you, or your immediate family, have any holdings that may conflict with your work responsibilities, you may be asked to divest yourself of them before beginning work.

Fitch Group is proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, and other statuses protected by law.