Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL2Medium

This interview process is for a Software Engineer (L2) role at Hudson River Trading. It is designed to assess a candidate's technical proficiency, problem-solving skills, and cultural fit within the firm.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$110000 - US$150000

Interview time·135 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving ability
  • Algorithmic knowledge
  • Coding proficiency
  • System design capabilities
  • Communication skills
  • Cultural fit

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, sorting, searching).
  2. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  3. Study system design concepts, including scalability, reliability, and performance.
  4. Understand common operating system concepts (processes, threads, memory management).
  5. Brush up on your chosen programming language (C++, Java, Python) and its standard libraries.
  6. Prepare to discuss past projects in detail, focusing on your contributions and technical challenges.
  7. Research Hudson River Trading and the financial industry to understand our business and culture.
  8. Practice explaining your thought process clearly and concisely.

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. Practice 2-3 problems/day.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash maps, trees, heaps) and basic algorithms (sorting, searching, recursion, dynamic programming). Practice implementing these from scratch and analyze their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Design a URL shortening service.
  • Explain the difference between a process and a thread.
  • How would you implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache?
  • Describe a time you had a conflict with a teammate and how you resolved it.
  • What are the challenges of building a distributed system?
  • Write a function to reverse a linked list.
  • How do you ensure the performance of your code?
  • Tell me about a project you are particularly proud of.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

New York

Interview focus

Emphasis on distributed systems and low-latency solutions.Understanding of financial market data and its processing.Experience with C++ or Java in a performance-critical environment.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a distributed system.
  • How would you design a system to handle real-time stock price updates for a large number of users?
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for high-frequency trading data.

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with high-frequency trading systems or similar low-latency applications.
  • Familiarize yourself with common financial data structures and protocols.
  • Highlight any experience with performance optimization in C++ or Java.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Hudson River Trading.

Frequently reported on Hudson River Trading loops

View all at Hudson River Trading

Other guides

More at Hudson River Trading.