Associate Engineer Jobs in Elgin, IL (NOW HIRING)

Engineering & Quality Software Engineer, Associate Director

Fitch Solutions is currently seeking a Engineering & Quality Software Engineer ,Associate Director, AI based out of our Chicago office.

Fitch Solutions is a leading provider of insights, data and analytics. It informs investment strategies, strengthens risk management capabilities and helps identify strategic opportunities. Its analysts, lawyers, journalists and economists offer in-depth views on credit markets/risk and individual credits, ESG, developed and emerging markets, and industry sectors. Fitch Solutions is part of Fitch Group, a global leader in financial information services with operations in over 30 countries. Fitch Group is owned by Hearst.

By becoming a part of the Fitch Solutions team, you will join a group of colleagues driving high-impact AI initiatives and identifying cross-product synergies across our external product portfolio. We advance innovation by uncovering strategic opportunities and delivering scalable, enterprise-grade solutions. You'll work in a dynamic environment where innovation is encouraged, and collaboration is key to developing solutions that address the evolving needs of global markets. With a portfolio of best-in-class, we offer you the opportunity to advance your career while contributing to a company known for its expertise and commitment to excellence.

What We Offer:

• Create transformative AI systems with measurable impact - Design and deploy production-ready generative AI platforms, multi-agent systems, and intelligent automation; tackle frontier AI challenges witnessing your innovations reshape products in real-time.
• Leverage cutting-edge AI innovation - Experiment with cutting-edge LLMs and foundation models, architect RAG implementations, design sophisticated agentic systems, and develop Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for Fitch Solutions; stay at the bleeding edge of AI technology with access to the latest tools, frameworks, and platforms.
• Lead enterprise-wide AI standardization initiatives - Build GenAI solutions across multiple business units while creating unified patterns, reusable components, and standardization frameworks that enable AI at enterprise scale across Fitch Group.
• Address complex, cross-functional challenges - Work at the intersection of engineering and product development, building systems that leverage GenAI agentic workflows and production-scale deployment; tackle problems that will expand your expertise and push the boundaries of what's technically possible.

We'll Count on You To:

• Lead transformative GenAI system development - Spearhead the creation of sophisticated generative AI solutions including enterprise chatbot platforms, evaluation frameworks, agentic workflows, RAG architectures, applied GenAI applications, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) implementations; deliver production-grade, scalable code that meets enterprise performance standards.
• Rapidly prototype and scale innovations - Experiment with emerging capabilities, validate technical feasibility through proofs-of-concept, and scale successful experiments into enterprise-ready systems.
• Design and develop robust production infrastructure - Build enterprise-scale APIs (FastAPI), cloud-based AI infrastructure on AWS/Azure, and systems optimized for performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Pioneer AI innovation through hands-on engineering - Experiment with cutting-edge foundation models, design and implement GenAI/ML architectures, assess emerging AI technologies, develop rapid proofs-of-concept, and bridge the gap between research breakthroughs and production-ready capabilities that generate tangible business value.
• Lead technical design - Drive technical design reviews, architecture discussions, and POC evaluations; identify risks, propose solutions, and ensure successful delivery of AI initiatives.
• Champion engineering excellence and iteration- Implement robust CI/CD pipelines, define coding standards and testing strategies, and build systems that are both cutting-edge and production-reliable.
• Solve novel technical challenges - Tackle complex problems at the intersection of AI innovation and enterprise-grade engineering; balance technical debt with feature development.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively - Partner with cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers and business stakeholders to translate complex technical concepts, gather requirements, and ensure AI solutions directly address user needs and strategic objectives.

What You Need to Have:

• 9+ years of professional experience designing, developing, and deploying production-grade full stack applications.
• 5+ years in full stack software engineering building and deploying real-world enterprise applications; advanced Python programming skills with strong backend development capabilities.
• Proven experience in developing and deploying intelligent conversational AI systems using RAG architectures, Model Context Protocol (MCP), AI-enabled search, vector databases, and LLM integration in real-time enterprise environments.
• Hands-on enterprise experience developing GenAI applications using LangChain and LangGraph frameworks with expertise in agent architecture design, state management, memory systems, and graph-based workflow orchestration.
• Strong technical expertise in embeddings, vector databases for AI integration, and LLM integration/fine-tuning across platforms such as OpenAI, LLaMA; solid understanding of ML algorithms with production experience using frameworks and tools including FastAPI, PyTorch/TensorFlow, and MLflow.
• Extensive experience building and integrating generative AI solutions into production environments, including working with large language models, designing multi agentic systems and embedding AI capabilities into existing product ecosystems.
• Strong foundation in MLOps practices, containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes/AWS EKS), cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure), AI-specific services (AWS Bedrock, SageMaker, Azure AI Search), and orchestration tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse stakeholders and work effectively across cross-functional teams.

Why Fitch?

• Hybrid Work Environment: 2 days a week in office required based on your line of business and location.
• A Culture of Learning & Mobility: Dedicated trainings, leadership development and mentorship programs designed to ensure that your time at Fitch will be a continuous learning opportunity
• Investing in Your Future: Retirement planning and tuition reimbursement programs that empower you to achieve your short and long-term goals
• Promoting Health & Wellbeing: Comprehensive healthcare offerings that enable physical, mental, financial, social, and occupational wellbeing
• Supportive Parenting Policies: Family-friendly policies, including a generous global parental leave plan, designed to help you balance career and family life effectively
• Inclusive Work Environment: A collaborative workplace where all voices are valued, with Employee Resource Groups that unite and empower our colleagues around the globe
• Dedication to Giving Back: Paid volunteer days, matched funding for donations and ample opportunities to volunteer in your community

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.

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.

FOR CHICAGO ROLES ONLY: Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $140,000 and $150,000 per year. Actual salaries will be determined on an individualized basis and may vary based on factors including but not limited to education, training, experience, past performance, and other job-related factors.  Base pay is one part of Fitch's total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, discretionary bonuses, long-term incentives, and other benefits sponsored by Fitch. 

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