Staff Software Engineer, Database Reliability

As a Staff Software Engineer in Database Reliability at Axon, you will lead coding and configuration management, participate in datastore optimization, build an automated k8s-based platform for managing datastore technologies, and partner with application teams to suggest optimizations. Your role is crucial for ensuring our evidence is uploaded accurately and stored securely.

Candidates for the Staff Software Engineer, Database Reliability position at Axon should have a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering, or relevant work experience. A master's degree is advantageous, along with at least 10 years of software development experience and expertise in designing complex systems and microservice architectures.

Yes, experience with cloud services such as Azure, AWS, or GCP is essential for the Staff Software Engineer, Database Reliability position at Axon. Candidates should demonstrate their familiarity with cloud-hosted services, architectures, and patterns, as these elements are integral to the role.

In the Staff Software Engineer, Database Reliability role at Axon, you'll work with various technologies including relational and NoSQL databases, cloud services, observability platforms like Grafana, and queuing solutions like Kafka. Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platforms such as Terraform or Pulumi is also beneficial.

Axon offers a comprehensive benefits package for the Staff Software Engineer, Database Reliability role, including competitive salary and 401k plans, discretionary paid time off, medical and dental coverage, parental leave, and wellness support. Additionally, you’ll have access to learning and development programs, making your growth a priority.

In answering this question, focus on specific projects where you designed or managed large-scale cloud systems, highlighting the challenges you faced and how you overcame them. Discuss technologies you've used, such as AWS or Azure, and any measurable impacts your work had on system performance.

When responding, outline your methods for optimizing datastores, such as indexing, partitioning, and selecting appropriate technologies based on use cases. Share a specific instance when your optimization efforts led to improved performance or cost-effectiveness.

Discuss a specific incident where you played a crucial role; detail your approach to troubleshooting, the resolution steps taken, and any long-term changes implemented to prevent recurrence. Highlight your ability to remain calm under pressure.

In your answer, explain the principles of microservices, advantages over monolithic architectures, and any firsthand experience migrating applications to microservices. Use examples to support your understanding and how it influences system design decisions.

Share your familiarity with IaC tools like Terraform or Pulumi, mentioning specific projects you’ve worked on. Discuss how IaC improved deployment processes and development collaboration in your experience.

Explain your strategies for fostering teamwork, which may include regular meetings, shared documentation, and facilitating open feedback loops. Share examples of successful collaborative projects where communication was key.

Share the resources you use, like online courses, tech blogs, webinars, or conferences, to keep your knowledge current. Emphasize your commitment to continual learning and how these updates have influenced your work.

Select a particular technology, like Cassandra or MySQL, and explain why you focused on it. Discuss specific challenges you navigated, solutions you implemented, and any performance improvements realized, showcasing your hands-on expertise.

Outline principles such as constructive feedback, ensuring a positive tone, and focusing on the code's effectiveness rather than personal criticism. Emphasize your belief in learning from code reviews to build a strong team culture.

Discuss the importance of aligning datastore choices with application needs, considering scalability, consistency, and data access patterns. Provide an example of a time when your design helped solve a specific issue effectively.