Product AI Engineer

About Morningstar Morningstar’s mission is to empower investor success. The Direct Platform team creates products that help financial professionals and the investors they serve achieve their financial goals. It is one of the largest business units that strives to give clients access to data, analytics, and tools that help professionals be more efficient, innovative, and connect with their clients more meaningfully. This role is based in our Chicago office, and we follow a hybrid policy of four days onsite. Role Overview We are seeking Forward‑Deployed AI Engineers to rapidly prototype AI solutions in real‑world advisor workflows. The role is embedded in the discovery team, working alongside Product Managers, UX designers, and researchers to translate ideas into functioning prototypes. Success is measured by speed, feasibility validation, and actionable prototypes that can move downstream. What Success Looks Like Prototypes validate advisor workflows quickly and reliably Downstream production engineers can operationalize prototypes with minimal friction Team moves from idea to evidence to validated workflow efficiently Experiments reduce risk and uncertainty for AI product decisions Why This Role Matters Product‑minded forward‑deployed engineers collapse the gap between concept and reality, enabling the team to make fast, evidence‑based product decisions while reducing wasted effort downstream. Key Responsibilities Build and iterate AI prototypes for advisor workflows Integrate signals, models, and UX designs into working experiments Test feasibility and performance of AI behaviors in real workflow scenarios Collaborate closely with PMs, UX designers, and research & signals lead Capture technical learnings and provide handoff documentation for production teams Rapidly validate ideas before long‑term engineering investment Required Skills AI prototyping – ability to build working AI systems quickly Data integration – connect signals, APIs, and datasets for prototypes Collaboration in cross‑functional teams – work side‑by‑side with PMs, UX, and researchers Experimentation and iteration – rapidly test and refine ideas with user feedback Technical documentation – clearly communicate prototype behavior and limitations Qualifications 3–5 years of AI engineering experience Expert user of AI coding tools like Claude, Code, and/or Cursor Expertise with Python, LLMs, prompt engineering, and AI frameworks Ability to rapidly prototype with limited infrastructure Strong problem‑solving and communication skills Compensation and Benefits Total Cash Compensation Range: $145,170–182,820 USD (annual base salary and target incentive). Financial Health: 100% 401k match up to 6% of salary Stock Ownership: Potential company‑provided life insurance of 1x salary + commission Physical Health: Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) with potential premium discounts and company‑provided HSA contributions up to $500–$2,000 annually Medical Wellness Incentives: up to $300–$600 annually Long‑term and short‑term disability insurance Trust‑Based Time Off: 6‑week paid sabbatical program 6‑week paid family caregiving leave Competitive 8‑24 week paid parental leave and adoption assistance Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities Annual Flex stipend of $1,000 for personal education & well‑being expenses Tuition reimbursement Social Health: charitable matching gifts program and dollars for doers volunteer program Paid volunteering days: 15+ Employee resource & affinity groups EEO Statement Morningstar is strongly committed to creating and preserving equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We make all employment decisions—recruitment, hiring, compensation, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, termination, and other personnel matters—without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship, gender identity and expression, parental status, or other legally protected characteristics. #J-18808-Ljbffr Morningstar Credit Ratings, LLC