Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL6Hard

The Software Engineer L6 interview at Optiver is a rigorous process designed to assess candidates' technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit for a senior role. It typically involves multiple rounds focusing on data structures, algorithms, system design, and behavioral aspects, with a strong emphasis on practical application and real-world scenarios.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Problem-solving approach and analytical skills.
  • Algorithmic knowledge and implementation proficiency.
  • System design and architectural thinking.
  • Understanding of trade-offs and ability to justify decisions.
  • Communication clarity and ability to articulate complex ideas.
  • Behavioral fit, including teamwork, leadership, and adaptability.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review data structures and algorithms, focusing on efficiency and common use cases.
  2. Practice system design problems, considering scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
  3. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences and aligning them with Optiver's values.
  4. Understand Optiver's business and the specific challenges of the trading industry.
  5. Practice coding on a whiteboard or in a shared editor to simulate the interview environment.
  6. Research common interview questions for senior software engineering roles at trading firms.
  7. Be prepared to discuss your resume in detail, highlighting relevant projects and achievements.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Data Structures and Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: Data Structures & Algorithms (LeetCode Medium/Hard).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on core data structures (arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash tables) and algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming, graph traversal). Practice implementing these and analyzing their time/space complexity. Solve LeetCode problems tagged 'Medium' and 'Hard'.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Design a system to handle real-time stock price updates for millions of users.
  • Implement a function to find the k-th largest element in an unsorted array.
  • Discuss a time you had to deal with a production issue and how you resolved it.
  • How would you design a distributed rate limiter?
  • Explain the CAP theorem and its implications for distributed systems.
  • What are the differences between processes and threads?
  • Describe a challenging technical decision you made and the outcome.
  • How do you approach testing complex software systems?
  • Design an algorithm to detect cycles in a directed graph.
  • What are the trade-offs between monolithic and microservices architectures?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Amsterdam

Interview focus

System design and architecture for large-scale, distributed systems.Deep understanding of distributed systems concepts (consistency, availability, partitioning).Experience with cloud-native technologies and practices.Leadership and mentorship capabilities.Ability to drive technical strategy and decision-making.

Common questions

  • How would you design a distributed caching system for a high-traffic e-commerce platform?
  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a previous role and your approach.
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies (SQL vs. NoSQL) for a specific use case.
  • How do you ensure the scalability and reliability of a microservices architecture?
  • Describe your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their services.

Tips

  • Familiarize yourself with common cloud services and their use cases.
  • Practice designing scalable and resilient systems, considering various failure scenarios.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with leading technical projects and mentoring junior engineers.
  • Understand the trade-offs involved in different architectural decisions.
  • Research Optiver's specific technology stack and business domain.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Optiver.

Frequently reported on Optiver loops

View all at Optiver

Other guides

More at Optiver.