Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL4Medium to Hard

The Grammarly Software Engineer L4 interview process is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical screenings, coding challenges, system design discussions, and behavioral interviews.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·3 - 7 yrs

Comp band·US$120000 - US$160000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving skills
  • Algorithmic thinking
  • Data structure knowledge
  • Code quality and efficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Communication skills
  • Collaboration and teamwork
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Grammarly's values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design concepts, including scalability, availability, databases, caching, load balancing, and API design.
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by recalling specific examples from your past experiences using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  5. Understand Grammarly's mission, values, and products to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment.
  6. Practice explaining your solutions and thought processes clearly and concisely.
  7. Research common interview questions for Software Engineer roles at similar tech companies.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms fundamentals. Solve 5-10 problems per topic.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures and algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, trees (binary trees, BSTs, AVL trees), heaps, hash tables, and graphs. Practice algorithms like sorting (quicksort, mergesort), searching (binary search), recursion, dynamic programming, and graph traversal (BFS, DFS). Aim to solve at least 5-10 problems per data structure/algorithm type.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a system to recommend articles to users based on their reading history.
  • Explain the concept of Big O notation and its importance.
  • Describe a situation where you had to disagree with a team member or manager. How did you handle it?
  • How would you optimize a slow-performing database query?
  • Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
  • What are the advantages and disadvantages of using microservices?
  • Tell me about a time you had to learn a new technology quickly.
  • Design a rate limiter for an API.
  • What is a deadlock and how can it be prevented?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

Emphasis on practical application of data structures and algorithms.Assessment of system design skills for scalable applications.Evaluation of communication and collaboration abilities.Understanding of core computer science principles.

Common questions

  • How would you design a URL shortener service?
  • Discuss a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.
  • Explain the difference between SQL and NoSQL databases.
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you solved and how you approached it.

Tips

  • Be prepared to whiteboard solutions for coding problems.
  • Practice explaining your thought process clearly.
  • Research Grammarly's products and values.
  • Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions using the STAR method.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Grammarly.

Frequently reported on Grammarly loops

View all at Grammarly

Other guides

More at Grammarly.