Director of Software Engineering
The Role
We are looking for a Director of Software Engineering to lead the technology teams building Morningstar's Plan Advantage and Fiduciary Services platforms. In this role, you'll own the engineering strategy, execution, and talent development for two of the most critical product lines within our Retirement business unit - directly shaping how retirement plan providers, broker dealers, and advisors deliver better outcomes to millions of plan participants. You'll report to the Head of Product and Technology and partner closely with the Director of Product Management to translate product vision into scalable, secure, and increasingly AI-powered technology. This is a leadership role that demands both strong technical judgment and the ability to build and develop high-performing engineering teams.
Job Responsibilities
Set and execute the engineering strategy and roadmap for Morningstar Plan Advantage and Fiduciary Services technology, ensuring alignment with product and business goals
Lead, mentor, and grow a global engineering organization spanning onshore and offshore teams, with a focus on hiring, retention, and developing senior technical talent
Partner with the Director of Product Management to define and prioritize the product and technology roadmap, balancing near-term delivery with long-term platform investment
Drive the adoption of AI across both product capabilities and internal engineering workflows - championing AI-assisted development practices (code review, testing, documentation) and delivering AI-powered product features to market
Own technical architecture decisions for the platform, ensuring systems are scalable, secure, reliable, and built on modern cloud-first principles
Establish and maintain engineering standards, development practices, and quality benchmarks across the organization
Champion a security-first engineering culture, ensuring secure development practices, code quality standards, and proactive vulnerability management are embedded into the development lifecycle
Own the full development lifecycle - from design and architecture through deployment, monitoring, and operational excellence
Collaborate cross-functionally with design, research, methodology, client service, sales, and compliance to deliver integrated solutions
Manage engineering capacity, budgets, and vendor relationships, making tradeoff decisions that optimize for both velocity and sustainability
Represent engineering in client-facing contexts as needed, including product demonstrations, technical due diligence, and strategic conversations with prospects and partners
Qualifications
10+ years of progressive experience in technology/software engineering, with at least 4 years in engineering leadership roles managing teams and managers
Deep technical foundation: fluency in modern backend technologies (Java, Spring Boot, or equivalent), RESTful API design, distributed systems, and relational databases
Genuine curiosity about and experience with Artificial Intelligence - whether through shipping AI-powered product features, adopting AI development tools, or both
Passion for developing people - you've built teams, grown engineers into leaders, and created cultures of ownership and continuous improvement
Strong understanding of Agile development practices and the judgment to adapt process to context rather than follow it rigidly
Excellent communication skills - you can translate between technical depth and business strategy, and you're comfortable presenting to executives, clients, and engineering teams alike
A collaborative, low-ego leadership style that earns trust across product, design, and engineering
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
Ledership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
Annual Flex Stipend - $1000 annually to cover personal education & well-being expenses
Tuition Reimbursement
Dollars for Doers volunteer program
Paid volunteering days
15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups
Total Cash Compensation Range: $195,600.00-299,916.66 Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive
If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentiality to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, then you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all, U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.
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.