Scale Engineer

U Band

Software EngineerSWE IIMedium to Hard

This interview process is for a Software Engineer (SWE II, U Band) at Nike. It assesses technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the company.

Rounds·3

Timeline·~14d

Experience·2 - 5 yrs

Comp band·US$95000 - US$130000

Interview time·150 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical Proficiency: Depth of knowledge in relevant programming languages, data structures, algorithms, and system design.
  • Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze complex problems, devise efficient solutions, and articulate the thought process.
  • Behavioral Competencies: Teamwork, communication, adaptability, leadership potential, and alignment with Nike's values.
  • Cultural Fit: How well the candidate aligns with Nike's mission, values, and collaborative work environment.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Understand Nike's mission, values, and recent business strategies.
  2. Brush up on core computer science fundamentals: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, and databases.
  3. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  4. Prepare for system design questions, thinking about scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
  5. Review behavioral interview questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  6. Research common interview questions for Software Engineers at Nike.
  7. Prepare thoughtful 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

Core Computer Science Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms. Practice coding problems.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures (Arrays, Linked Lists, Trees, Graphs, Hash Tables) and Algorithms (Sorting, Searching, Dynamic Programming, Greedy Algorithms). Practice coding problems on these topics daily. Review Big O notation for time and space complexity.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles.
  • How would you design a system to handle Nike's global product catalog?
  • Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
  • Describe a time you disagreed with a teammate or manager. How did you handle it?
  • How do you ensure the scalability and reliability of your code?
  • What are your thoughts on test-driven development (TDD)?
  • Explain the concept of a distributed cache and its use cases.
  • How would you optimize a slow-performing database query?
  • Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
  • Design an API for a feature like Nike's 'Run Club' activity tracking.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

USA

Interview focus

Understanding of scalable systems relevant to retail and sports.Ability to adapt to fast-paced, data-driven environments.Knowledge of cloud technologies and their application in a global business.

Common questions

  • How would you design a system to handle Nike's global inventory management?
  • Describe a time you had to optimize a process for a large-scale application.
  • What are your thoughts on the latest trends in e-commerce technology relevant to Nike?

Tips

  • Research Nike's recent technological initiatives and product launches.
  • Be prepared to discuss how your skills can contribute to Nike's digital transformation.
  • Highlight any experience with large-scale data processing or e-commerce platforms.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Technical Interview (Coding) · 45 min · Software Engineer (Peer)

This round focuses on your fundamental computer science knowledge. You will be asked to solve one or two coding problems, typically involving data structures and algorithms. The interviewer will assess your ability to write clean, efficient, and correct code, as well as your approach to problem-solving and debugging.

What they look for

Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms.Ability to translate requirements into working code.Clear communication of thought process.Attention to detail in coding.

Evaluation

  • Correctness of the solution.
  • Efficiency of the solution (time and space complexity).
  • Code clarity and style.
  • Problem-solving approach.
  • Communication of the solution.

Sample questions

  • Given a binary tree, invert the binary tree.

    TreeRecursionIteration

  • Find the kth largest element in an unsorted array.

    ArraySortingHeap

  • Implement a function to check if a string is a palindrome.

    StringTwo Pointers

Prep for this round

  1. 01Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank.
  2. 02Focus on common data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming).
  3. 03Be prepared to explain your time and space complexity analysis.
  4. 04Practice writing code on a whiteboard or in a shared editor.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Inability to articulate thought process clearly.
  • ×Lack of fundamental data structures and algorithms knowledge.
  • ×Poorly written or inefficient code.
  • ×Not asking clarifying questions.

DSA

Coding questions at Nike.

Frequently reported on Nike loops

View all at Nike

Other guides

More at Nike.