Senior Software Engineer

At Affirm, a Senior Software Engineer is responsible for leading their team through various phases of product development, ensuring high availability and performance in backend systems. This role involves delivering quarterly goals, collaborating with stakeholders, addressing technical constraints, and proactively solving project and process issues.

Affirm seeks candidates for the Senior Software Engineer role who have at least 4 years of experience in designing, developing, and launching scalable backend systems. A strong command of programming languages like Python or Kotlin is crucial, alongside familiarity with AWS, MySQL, and Kubernetes.

Senior Software Engineers at Affirm play a vital role in fostering a culture of quality and ownership within their teams. They achieve this by setting clear standards for code reviews and design, mentoring peers, and leading by example to encourage best practices in software development.

At Affirm, the pay structure for a Senior Software Engineer varies by location and experience, with salaries ranging from $169,000 to $240,000 per year. The compensation package also includes equity options, generous stipends, and comprehensive health benefits.

Affirm prioritizes the growth of its employees, particularly Senior Software Engineers. This role provides opportunities to solicit feedback, develop leadership skills, and directly contribute to decision-making processes, enhancing both personal and professional development.

Be prepared to discuss specific projects where you designed, developed, or maintained backend systems. Highlight your role, the technologies you used, and the challenges you faced, showcasing how your contributions helped achieve project goals.

Talk about your approach to code reviews, how you advocate for testing practices, and any metrics you use to monitor code health. Share examples of how you implemented improvements in previous teams to maintain high standards.

Discuss specific instances where you've navigated unclear requirements by focusing on collaboration and communication. Explain how you break down problems and engage with stakeholders to gather necessary context to guide your work.

Discuss a particular challenge in a previous project, explaining the context, your approach to solving it, and the outcome. Focus on the skills and technologies you utilized, as well as what you learned from the experience.

Share your familiarity with AWS services you've used in previous roles, such as EC2, S3, or Lambda. Discuss how you've implemented these technologies in your projects to achieve scalability and performance.

Explain your methodology for prioritization, including how you assess the impact of tasks and ensure alignment with team goals. Discuss any tools or frameworks you use to manage workflows effectively.

Emphasize the importance of communication and teamwork in software development. Discuss methods you've employed to foster collaboration among departments, such as regular meetings, shared documentation, or collaborative tools.

Describe your commitment to developing talent and how you approach mentoring. Include your strategies for providing feedback, conducting one-on-ones, and cultivating a supportive learning environment.

Share key design principles that guide your work, such as DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), or SOLID principles. Provide examples of how these principles influenced your past projects.

Articulate your enthusiasm for Affirm’s mission of making credit transparent and accessible. Express how your skills align with the company's goals and your desire to contribute to innovative solutions in the fintech space.