# Senior Software Engineer
**Role:** Software Engineer · **Level:** GL28
**Company:** [Optum](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/optum)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$140000 - US$180000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~14 days
The Senior Software Engineer (GL28) interview process at Optum is designed to assess a candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, leadership potential, and cultural fit within the organization. It typically involves multiple rounds, including technical assessments, behavioral interviews, and a system design discussion.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/optum/gl28-software-engineer
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## Overall evaluation

- Technical and Behavioral Assessment
- Impact and Ownership

## Questions asked

- Describe a complex technical challenge you faced and how you overcame it.
- How would you design a system for [specific problem, e.g., a real-time notification service]?
- Tell me about a time you had to lead a project or a team. What was your approach?
- How do you handle disagreements within a team regarding technical decisions?
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?
- Explain the concept of eventual consistency.
- How do you ensure the quality and testability of your code?
- Describe a situation where you had to mentor a junior engineer.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a software engineer?
- Why are you interested in working at Optum?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review core computer science concepts: data structures, algorithms, complexity analysis.
- Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, or AlgoExpert, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.
- Study system design principles and common architectural patterns (e.g., microservices, RESTful APIs, caching, message queues).
- Prepare for behavioral questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Think about examples that showcase leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and handling challenges.
- Research Optum's mission, values, and recent projects, especially those related to healthcare technology.
- Understand the specific technologies mentioned in the job description and be ready to discuss your experience with them.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Data Structures and Algorithms","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Data Structures and Algorithms. Cover arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, hash maps, heaps, sorting, searching, dynamic programming, and recursion. Practice implementing these and analyzing their time and space complexity. Aim for 2-3 medium/hard problems per day.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: DSA fundamentals and practice (2-3 problems/day)."}
- {"title":"System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into System Design. Study concepts like scalability, availability, reliability, consistency, load balancing, caching strategies, database design (SQL vs. NoSQL), message queues, and API design. Review common system design interview questions and practice designing systems like Twitter feed, URL shortener, etc.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System Design principles and practice."}
- {"title":"Behavioral and Company Fit","longDescription":"Week 5: Prepare for Behavioral and Situational Questions. Reflect on past projects and experiences. Identify examples that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, conflict resolution, problem-solving, and adaptability. Practice articulating these using the STAR method. Research Optum's values and mission.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Behavioral questions (STAR method) and company research."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews and Final Preparation","longDescription":"Week 6: Mock Interviews and Review. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors covering both technical and behavioral aspects. Review weak areas identified during practice and mock interviews. Finalize questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Mock interviews and final review."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight any experience working with distributed teams or in a remote setting.","Be prepared to discuss your understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their services.","Familiarize yourself with common healthcare data standards and regulations if applicable to the specific role."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on collaboration and communication skills, especially in remote or hybrid work environments.","Assessment of experience with cloud-native architectures and microservices, given the prevalence of these in modern software development.","Understanding of data privacy and security regulations (e.g., HIPAA) as they apply to healthcare data."],"commonQuestions":["How would you handle a situation where a junior engineer on your team is struggling with a complex task?","Describe a time you had to mentor a less experienced developer. What was your approach?","In a distributed team setting, how do you ensure effective communication and collaboration?","What are your strategies for staying updated with the latest technologies and industry trends relevant to our work in healthcare technology?"]}}
- {"location":"On-site (e.g., Eden Prairie, MN)","differences":{"tips":["Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on medium to hard difficulty.","Be ready to whiteboard solutions and explain your thought process clearly.","Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to handle complex technical challenges and deliver high-quality code."],"interviewFocus":["Strong emphasis on core computer science fundamentals and data structures.","Evaluation of problem-solving skills through coding challenges and algorithmic questions.","Assessment of experience with large-scale systems and performance optimization."],"commonQuestions":["Describe a challenging technical problem you solved in a previous role and your approach.","How do you ensure the scalability and performance of the applications you build?","Tell me about a time you disagreed with a technical decision made by your team or manager. How did you handle it?","What are your thoughts on the current state of AI in healthcare and its potential impact on software development?"]}}

## Round 1: Technical Coding Round
**Type:** Data Structures and Algorithms Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Coding challenge focusing on algorithms and data structures.
This round focuses on assessing your core technical skills. You will be presented with one or two coding problems that require you to implement algorithms and use appropriate data structures. The interviewer will evaluate your problem-solving approach, coding style, and ability to optimize for performance and efficiency. Expect to write code, potentially on a whiteboard or a shared online editor, and explain your reasoning throughout the process.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong grasp of fundamental data structures and algorithms.; Ability to translate a problem into a working code solution.; Clear and logical thinking.; Attention to detail and edge case handling.
**Evaluation criteria:** Correctness of the solution.; Efficiency of the algorithm (time and space complexity).; Code quality, readability, and maintainability.; Ability to handle edge cases.; Communication of thought process.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate thought process clearly.; Suboptimal algorithmic solutions.; Poorly structured or inefficient code.; Lack of understanding of time/space complexity.
## Questions

- Given an array of integers, find the contiguous subarray with the largest sum.
- Implement a function to reverse a linked list.
- Find the k-th smallest element in a binary search tree.
- Design and implement a data structure that supports insert, delete, search, and getRandom in O(1) average time.

## Preparation tips

- Practice coding problems regularly, focusing on common patterns.
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs between different data structures and algorithms.
- Practice explaining your thought process out loud as you solve problems.

## Round 2: System Design Round
**Type:** System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Design a scalable software system based on a given problem.
This round assesses your ability to design software systems at scale. You'll be given an open-ended problem (e.g., design a URL shortener, a social media feed, or a ride-sharing service) and expected to propose a high-level architecture. This includes defining components, data models, APIs, and considering aspects like scalability, reliability, and performance. You should be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design choices.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to design complex, distributed systems.; Understanding of system components and their interactions.; Consideration of non-functional requirements (performance, scalability, availability).; Pragmatic approach to problem-solving and trade-offs.
**Evaluation criteria:** Scalability of the proposed design.; Reliability and fault tolerance.; Clarity and completeness of the design.; Understanding of trade-offs (e.g., consistency vs. availability).; Knowledge of relevant technologies and patterns.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to design a scalable and robust system.; Lack of consideration for failure scenarios and trade-offs.; Poor understanding of distributed systems concepts.; Not addressing non-functional requirements adequately.
## Questions

- Design a system like Twitter's news feed.
- Design a rate limiter for an API.
- How would you design a distributed cache?
- Design a system to count unique visitors to a website in real-time.

## Preparation tips

- Study common system design patterns and architectural styles.
- Practice designing various systems, focusing on breaking down the problem.
- Be ready to discuss databases, caching, load balancing, and message queues.
- Think about potential bottlenecks and failure points.

## Round 3: Behavioral and Managerial Round
**Type:** Behavioral Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses behavioral competencies, leadership, and cultural fit.
This round focuses on your past experiences, behavioral competencies, and how you align with Optum's culture. You'll be asked questions about your career, how you handle specific situations (e.g., conflict resolution, dealing with failure, managing priorities), and your motivations for joining Optum. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide structured and impactful answers.
**Interviewers look for:** Evidence of leadership and initiative.; Ability to work collaboratively.; Problem-solving skills in real-world scenarios.; Self-awareness and ability to learn from experiences.; Alignment with Optum's mission and values.
**Evaluation criteria:** Behavioral competencies (teamwork, communication, problem-solving).; Leadership potential and experience.; Cultural fit with Optum's values.; Motivation and alignment with the role and company.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear examples demonstrating leadership or impact.; Inability to articulate past experiences effectively.; Poor alignment with company values or team dynamics.; Negative attitude or lack of enthusiasm.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- Describe a situation where you had to influence a decision.
- How do you prioritize your work when you have multiple competing deadlines?
- What motivates you as a software engineer?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions.
- Reflect on your career goals and how this role fits into them.
- Research Optum's mission, values, and culture.
- Be ready to discuss your strengths, weaknesses, and career aspirations.