Scale Engineer

Software Engineer

Software EngineerL7Hard

The Software Engineer L7 interview at Optiver is a rigorous process designed to assess candidates for their advanced technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and leadership potential. This role requires a deep understanding of computer science fundamentals, experience in designing and implementing complex systems, and the ability to mentor junior engineers. The interview process typically involves multiple rounds, including technical assessments, system design discussions, and behavioral evaluations, to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the candidate's fit for the role and the company culture.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~21d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Depth of technical knowledge in core computer science areas (algorithms, data structures, operating systems, networking).
  • Proficiency in relevant programming languages (e.g., C++, Java, Python).
  • Ability to design, build, and maintain complex, scalable, and reliable software systems.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Understanding of distributed systems, concurrency, and low-latency programming.
  • Experience with performance optimization and profiling.
  • Familiarity with financial markets and trading systems is a plus.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Review core computer science concepts: data structures, algorithms, operating systems, networking.
  2. Practice system design problems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and performance.
  3. Study distributed systems concepts: consensus, replication, fault tolerance.
  4. Prepare for behavioral questions by reflecting on past experiences related to leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.
  5. Understand the basics of financial markets and trading if you are new to the domain.
  6. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or Coderbyte, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
  7. Research Optiver's business, technology stack, and culture.
  8. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Data Structures & Algorithms

Weeks 1-2: DSA - Advanced topics, implementation practice (2-3 problems/day).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover advanced topics like graphs, dynamic programming, and complexity analysis. Practice implementing these in your preferred language. Aim for 2-3 medium/hard problems per day.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe a complex system you designed and the trade-offs you considered.
  • How would you optimize a system for low latency?
  • Discuss a time you disagreed with a technical decision and how you handled it.
  • Explain the principles of eventual consistency.
  • How do you approach debugging a distributed system?
  • Tell me about a time you mentored a junior engineer.
  • Design a rate limiter for an API.
  • What are the challenges of building a real-time data processing pipeline?
  • How would you ensure the security of a trading platform?
  • Describe your experience with performance testing and profiling.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Amsterdam

Interview focus

Deep dive into distributed systems and concurrency.Emphasis on system design for financial applications.Evaluation of leadership and mentorship capabilities.Understanding of low-latency and high-throughput systems.

Common questions

  • Discuss a challenging technical problem you solved in a distributed system.
  • How would you design a real-time trading system for a specific asset class?
  • Explain the trade-offs between different database technologies for high-frequency data.
  • Describe a time you had to influence a team's technical direction.
  • How do you approach performance optimization in a large-scale application?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss specific examples of leading technical projects.
  • Familiarize yourself with common financial market data structures and protocols.
  • Practice explaining complex system designs clearly and concisely.
  • Highlight experience with performance tuning and optimization in production environments.

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.