Scale Engineer

Engineer

Software EngineerP40Medium to Hard

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Atlassian for the P40 level is a comprehensive evaluation designed to assess technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, collaboration abilities, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical interviews, a system design interview, and behavioral interviews, often culminating in a hiring manager discussion. The process aims to identify candidates who can contribute effectively to Atlassian's innovative and collaborative environment.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·4 - 8 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$160000

Interview time·180 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth in relevant programming languages and technologies.
  • Problem-solving skills, including analytical thinking and algorithmic proficiency.
  • System design capabilities, focusing on scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
  • Communication skills, clarity of thought, and ability to articulate technical concepts.
  • Collaboration and teamwork, including ability to work effectively with others.
  • Cultural fit, alignment with Atlassian's values (e.g., teamwork, customer focus, innovation).

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review core computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and databases.
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design principles and common architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, RESTful APIs, caching, load balancing).
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on your past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Research Atlassian's products, values, and recent news to understand their business and culture.
  6. Understand the specific technologies and programming languages mentioned in the job description.
  7. Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (2-3 problems/day).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables, sorting, searching, and dynamic programming. Practice implementing these structures and algorithms and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 coding problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult technical challenge. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?
  • Describe a project you are particularly proud of. What was your role, and what made it successful?
  • How do you approach designing a scalable and reliable system for [specific problem, e.g., a real-time notification service]?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
  • How do you handle disagreements within a team regarding technical decisions?
  • Explain the concept of [specific technical concept, e.g., eventual consistency, CAP theorem, ACID properties].
  • How do you ensure the quality and testability of your code?
  • Describe a situation where you had to learn a new technology quickly. How did you go about it?
  • What are your career aspirations, and how does this role at Atlassian fit into them?
  • How do you stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in software engineering?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Sydney, Australia

Interview focus

Deep dive into distributed systems and cloud-native architectures.Emphasis on experience with large-scale data processing and management.Assessment of leadership potential and experience in driving technical initiatives.Understanding of specific cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) relevant to the team's stack.

Common questions

  • Describe a challenging technical problem you solved at scale.
  • How do you approach debugging a complex distributed system?
  • Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior engineer.
  • What are your thoughts on the latest trends in cloud computing (e.g., serverless, microservices)?
  • How do you ensure the quality and reliability of your code in a production environment?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with the specific cloud services used by the team in this region.
  • Prepare examples demonstrating experience with high-availability and fault-tolerant systems.
  • Research Atlassian's presence and projects in the specific region.
  • Be ready to discuss your contributions to open-source projects if applicable.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Atlassian.

Frequently reported on Atlassian loops

View all at Atlassian

Other guides

More at Atlassian.