Scale Engineer

Senior Engineer

Software EngineerP50Hard

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Senior Software Engineer (P50) role at Atlassian. It evaluates technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, system design skills, and cultural fit, ensuring candidates can contribute effectively to complex projects and mentor junior engineers.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth in relevant programming languages and technologies.
  • Problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.
  • Ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems.
  • Communication skills and ability to articulate complex ideas clearly.
  • Collaboration and teamwork.
  • Leadership potential and mentorship capabilities.
  • Alignment with Atlassian's values and culture.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review your resume and be prepared to discuss all projects and experiences in detail.
  2. Practice coding problems focusing on data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design.
  3. Study system design principles, including scalability, reliability, and distributed systems.
  4. Understand Atlassian's products and their use cases.
  5. Prepare behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  6. Research Atlassian's company culture and values.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms. Practice coding and complexity analysis.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice coding these concepts in your preferred language. Review Big O notation for time and space complexity.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe a complex technical problem you solved.
  • How would you design a system for [specific Atlassian product feature]?
  • Tell me about a time you had to lead a technical project.
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as an engineer?
  • How do you handle disagreements within a team?
  • Explain the concept of eventual consistency.
  • What are the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases?
  • How do you ensure the scalability of a web application?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
  • How do you approach code reviews?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monoliths?
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Sydney

Interview focus

Deep dive into distributed systems and cloud architecture.Emphasis on leadership and technical mentorship.Understanding of specific Atlassian product challenges and solutions.Experience with large-scale data processing and analytics.

Common questions

  • Describe a complex technical challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
  • How do you approach designing a scalable and reliable system for [specific Atlassian product context, e.g., Jira issue tracking]?
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence a team's technical direction.
  • What are your thoughts on the latest trends in cloud-native development and microservices?
  • How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with Atlassian's core products (Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket) and their underlying architectures.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with AWS/Azure/GCP in detail.
  • Highlight instances where you've led technical initiatives or mentored other engineers.
  • Research common challenges in distributed systems and how Atlassian addresses them.

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.