Junior Back-end Developer

About the Role

Callan is seeking a new team member to join our Information Technology team in one of the following Callan locations: San Francisco headquarters, or Portland, OR. As a Junior/Early Career Back-End Developer at Callan, a leading independent investment consulting firm, you will have an opportunity to join our small, close-knit engineering team at Callan. Our team builds and maintains CallanDNA, a single, unified web platform that supports the core of our business — from data collection with investment managers, to analysis tools for our analysts, specialists, and consultants, to reporting for our institutional investor clients.

In this role, you’ll begin by owning and maintaining three TypeScript-based microservices responsible for generating Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets, all integrated with our central GraphQL API. As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute more broadly across the back end, including our GraphQL API and PostgreSQL data infrastructure. This is a long-term position at a company built on stability, craftsmanship, and people who genuinely enjoy their work.

Our goal is to identify a candidate with a genuine interest in investments, data analysis, and reporting, has intellectual curiosity, strong project and time management skills, and a true appreciation for the value of building strong, trusted relationships with clients and fellow Callan colleagues.

This position will be based in San Francisco or Portland office and will be expected to work a hybrid schedule with a minimum of 2 days a week in the office.

Primary Duties

• Maintain and extend three TypeScript microservices running on AWS Lambda that generate Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents
• Learn and contribute to our GraphQL API, the backbone of our back-end architecture
• Gradually take on responsibilities in PostgreSQL (Amazon RDS), including creating and managing tables and views
• Collaborate with the team using Jira for ticket tracking and Bitbucket for version control
• Test, debug issues, write clean and maintainable TypeScript, and document your work as you learn the system
• Learn, understand, and implement security protocols and data protection measures
• Attend in-person and Zoom meetings to collaborate with the team
• Partner with senior team members to improve skills and gain experience in back-end development

Skills & Requirements

• Solid foundational knowledge of TypeScript
• Familiarity with GraphQL concepts and APIs
• Basic SQL skills, including writing queries and understanding relational schemas
• Experience with Git-based workflows (Bitbucket experience is a plus, not required)
• Exposure to AWS or serverless architecture is preferred, not required
• Understanding of Office Open XML (OOXML) — knowledge of how Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files are structured under the hood
• Ability to collaborate effectively on cross-functional teams
• Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently
• Demonstrated ability to receive and integrate feedback
• Effective and professional communication and analytical skills
• Exceptional problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize work to meet deadlines even during the busiest times
• Build and maintain relationships internally and externally
• Advanced technical skills with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and Access
• Understanding security protocols and data protection measures

Characteristics

• Passionate about learning and seeking information to uncover answers and generate new ideas, including the ability to ask for help when needed
• Self-motivated and proactive
• Resourceful and has a great deal of patience
• Responsive, detail-oriented, and accurate with the ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently without supervision in an unstructured environment, managing multiple deadlines
• Emphasis on team over self

Education And Experience

• Completion of post-secondary education, such as coding bootcamp and relevant works experience required.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in computer science, computer engineering, or related field is preferred
• Minimum 3 - 5+ years of work experience in backend development, including working with and building APIs
• Familiarity with the investment management industry (CFA or similar credentials are a plus, not required)
• Experience with any of the following is a strong plus: PPTXGenJS — PowerPoint generation, pptx-automizer — Template-based PowerPoint automation, excel4node — Excel spreadsheet generation, docx (docxjs) — Word document generation

Familiar with the following Tech Stack:

• Language: TypeScript
• API Layer: GraphQL
• Runtime: AWS Lambda
• Database: PostgreSQL (Amazon RDS)
• Version Control: Git (Bitbucket)
• Project Management: Jira

Compensation, Benefits & Training

• A generous compensation and benefits package, including base salary, bonus, 401(k) matching, profit-sharing, health/medical/dental/vision benefits, monthly communications stipend, tuition assistance, and more
• Training for all Callan databases, research, and other systems
• Access to team-building events, community outreach opportunities, and wellness events

About Callan

Callan was founded as an employee-owned investment consulting firm in 1973. Ever since, we have empowered institutional clients with creative, customized investment solutions that are backed by proprietary research, exclusive data, and ongoing education. Today, Callan advises clients with more than $3 trillion in total assets, which makes it among the largest independently owned investment consulting firms in the U.S. Callan uses a client-focused consulting model to serve pension and defined contribution plan sponsors, endowments, foundations, independent investment advisers, investment managers, and other asset owners.

Callan has roughly 200 employees and is headquartered in San Francisco with five additional offices throughout the U.S. Learn more about us at www.callan.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Callan is an equal opportunity employer. Research shows that women and other underrepresented groups tend to apply only if they meet 100% of the criteria. We are committed to leveling the playing field, and we encourage all, especially women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ+ community, to apply for positions even if they do not necessarily check every box outlined in the job description. Callan believes that our organization and culture are made stronger through diverse perspectives and experiences.

Compensation Range

The range listed represents what we reasonably expect to pay for this role at the time of this posting. Depending on the qualifications and level of work experience of the ideal candidate, we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and may be modified in the future.

Key skills/competency

• TypeScript
• GraphQL
• SQL
• AWS Lambda
• PostgreSQL
• Git
• Jira
• Backend Development
• API Development
• Document Generation