Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerSenior Software EngineerHard

Akuna Capital's interview process for a Senior Software Engineer is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. The process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews, a system design interview, and behavioral interviews.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$150000 - US$200000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical proficiency in core computer science concepts.
  • Ability to design scalable and robust systems.
  • Problem-solving and analytical thinking.
  • Communication and collaboration skills.
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Akuna Capital's values.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms, focusing on efficiency and complexity.
  2. Practice system design problems, considering scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
  3. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and technical challenges.
  4. Brush up on your knowledge of operating systems, databases, and networking concepts.
  5. Research Akuna Capital's business, culture, and recent news.
  6. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.
  7. Practice behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (Arrays, Trees, Graphs, DP, etc.). Practice LeetCode (Medium/Hard).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, heaps, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and graph traversal algorithms. Practice problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and GeeksforGeeks, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a system to handle real-time stock price updates for millions of users.
  • Given a large dataset of trades, how would you find the top K most frequent trading pairs?
  • Explain the concept of eventual consistency and when it's appropriate to use.
  • Describe a situation where you had to optimize code for performance. What steps did you take?
  • How would you design a distributed rate limiter?
  • Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision made by your team. How did you handle it?
  • What are the trade-offs between microservices and a monolithic architecture?
  • How do you approach testing in a complex, distributed system?
  • Describe your experience with concurrency and multithreading.
  • What are the key principles of object-oriented design?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Chicago

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and their complexities.Ability to design and optimize high-frequency trading systems.Strong grasp of data structures, algorithms, and their practical application in performance-critical scenarios.Experience with low-latency programming and performance tuning.Cultural fit and ability to collaborate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a previous role.
  • How do you approach designing a scalable system for real-time data processing?
  • Describe your experience with distributed systems and consensus algorithms.
  • What are your thoughts on the trade-offs between different database technologies?
  • How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with C++ or Java in detail, focusing on performance aspects.
  • Familiarize yourself with common financial market data structures and algorithms.
  • Understand the challenges of building low-latency systems.
  • Research Akuna Capital's trading strategies and technology stack.
  • Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Akuna Capital.

Frequently reported on Akuna Capital loops

View all at Akuna Capital

Other guides

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