Next-Generation Technology & Data Talent program (Chicago)

Role

Fitch Group’s Next-Generation Technology & Data Talent (NeXT) program is a 12-month, rotational associate technologist program based in Chicago. Participants receive intensive induction training followed by three four-month rotations across specialist areas (application development & testing, QA, Site Reliability/DevOps, database management, data science and machine learning engineering, and related technical disciplines). The program emphasizes practical, on-the-job experience, mentorship, and exposure to current and next-generation technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete three four-month rotations across technology and data teams and contribute to real-time projects from day one.
• Develop, test, and maintain software applications using modern frameworks and languages.
• Collaborate on design, build, and testing of scalable and secure data products and APIs.
• Apply test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD) techniques and maintain automated test scripts and QA automation.
• Work with cloud platforms (AWS and/or Azure) and application security teams to implement data loading, LLM workflows, DevOps, and DevSecOps best practices.
• Contribute to developing and deploying ML and Gen AI solutions, where applicable.
• Engage with product owners and business stakeholders to translate business needs into technical requirements and user stories.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or computer information systems.
• Graduating between December 2025 and June 2026 with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Demonstrated knowledge of at least one or two programming languages (examples given: Python, Java, C#, JavaScript).
• Understanding of software design patterns, ML fundamentals, and cloud computing fundamentals (AWS or similar).
• Hands-on experience with Gen AI-assisted development tools (examples given: GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Cody or equivalent).
• Proficiency with ML algorithms (multi-class classification, decision trees, SVMs, neural networks); deep learning experience preferred.
• Less than 6 months of full-time software engineering experience (entry-level).

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Creativity, quick problem-solving, and out-of-the-box thinking.
• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills.
• Prior internships, coding competitions, or project experience that demonstrate software engineering interest or capability.
• Eagerness to learn new technologies, particularly Gen AI and agentic frameworks.

Location, Work Model & Compensation

• Location: Chicago, IL (hybrid; 3 days per week in office required depending on line of business).
• Expected base pay rate for this role in Chicago: $85,000 per year (actual salaries determined individually).

Benefits & Development

• Regular training sessions led by senior technology staff and dedicated mentorship (team leaders and peer buddies).
• Leadership development and mobility opportunities; hands-on project experience.
• Retirement planning, tuition reimbursement, comprehensive healthcare, global parental leave, paid volunteer days, matched donation funding, and Employee Resource Groups.