Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerLead Software EngineerHigh

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Lead Software Engineer position at FactSet. It evaluates technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$150000 - US$200000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth
  • Problem-solving approach
  • System design capabilities
  • Leadership and mentorship skills
  • Communication and collaboration

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review core computer science concepts (data structures, algorithms, operating systems, databases).
  2. Practice system design problems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
  3. Prepare to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting your contributions and technical decisions.
  4. Understand FactSet's business and the financial industry.
  5. Research common behavioral interview questions and prepare STAR method responses.
  6. Think about examples of leadership, mentorship, and conflict resolution.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures & Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (medium/hard).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Review common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, graph traversal, dynamic programming). Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe a complex system you designed or significantly contributed to. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?
  • How do you approach leading a team through a difficult technical challenge?
  • Tell me about a time you had to mentor a junior engineer. What was your approach and what was the outcome?
  • How do you balance delivering new features with maintaining code quality and addressing technical debt?
  • Describe a situation where you disagreed with a technical decision made by your team or manager. How did you handle it?
  • What are your strategies for ensuring the scalability and reliability of a system under heavy load?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning within a team?
  • Walk me through your process for debugging a critical production issue.
  • What are your thoughts on the trade-offs between different database technologies?
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and evaluate their potential adoption?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

New York

Interview focus

System Design and ArchitectureTechnical Leadership and MentorshipCross-functional CollaborationProblem-solving complex technical challenges

Common questions

  • Describe a challenging technical problem you solved in a previous role and how you approached it.
  • How do you mentor junior engineers and foster their growth?
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence a team to adopt a new technology or approach.
  • What are your strategies for ensuring code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?
  • How do you handle disagreements within a technical team?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss specific examples of leading technical initiatives.
  • Highlight your experience in mentoring and developing other engineers.
  • Emphasize your ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Research FactSet's technology stack and recent product developments.
  • Prepare questions that demonstrate your understanding of leadership and strategic thinking.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at FactSet.

Frequently reported on FactSet loops

View all at FactSet

Other guides

More at FactSet.