Senior Software Engineer

To become a Senior Software Engineer at 10x Genomics, candidates typically need a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or a scientific discipline, along with at least four years of software development experience or six years of professional experience in software building. Additionally, two years' experience with backend systems and a solid understanding of computer science fundamentals are essential.

As a Senior Software Engineer at 10x Genomics, your primary responsibilities include designing, building, testing, and deploying AWS cloud-based solutions. You’ll collaborate with diverse teams from scientists to product managers to define and implement new features, develop scalable data management systems, and troubleshoot any performance issues to optimize application reliability.

Candidates for the Senior Software Engineer role at 10x Genomics should have a strong proficiency in backend systems including REST APIs and modern relational databases like Postgres. Experience with cloud environments, particularly AWS, along with Kubernetes, Docker, and monitoring tools like Grafana, are also beneficial. Proficiency in programming languages such as Go and React is preferred.

The Senior Software Engineer at 10x Genomics plays a crucial role by developing applications that facilitate the processing and analysis of large-scale genomic data. This technology empowers scientists and researchers globally to tackle complex biological questions, helping them discover new insights related to diseases and therapies—ultimately contributing to significant advancements in life sciences.

At 10x Genomics, Senior Software Engineers are encouraged to grow within the company as we support their ambitions to pursue new technologies and innovative ideas. The collaborative atmosphere allows for cross-team projects, further skill development, and potential leadership roles as one advances their career path in tech development, research impact, or project management.

When answering this question, provide detailed examples of cloud-based projects you've worked on, particularly any that involved AWS. Talk about your contributions to design, development, and troubleshooting, as well as the technologies you used, such as Docker, Kubernetes, or specific AWS services.

Discuss your strategies for monitoring application performance, including tools like Grafana or AWS CloudWatch. Describe the types of metrics you track and how you troubleshoot issues, possibly sharing a specific example where you improved system reliability or performance.

Be honest about your proficiency in programming languages such as Go and React. Share specific instances where you utilized these languages in projects, detailing your contributions and any challenges faced during development, as well as how you overcame them.

Explain your process for writing maintainable code, emphasizing practices like code reviews, documentation, and unit testing. Discuss how you design systems with scalability in mind, referencing architectural patterns you've used or specific design principles that guide your approach.

Provide an example of a project where you collaborated with different teams, focusing on your communication strategies and how you ensured alignment across various stakeholders. Highlight your flexibility and willingness to adapt to different working styles.

Talk about your familiarity with Agile methodologies or any other project management approaches you've used. Share how these methodologies have influenced your workflow, contributed to team success, and improved project delivery times.

Describe a specific technical challenge, focusing on the steps you took to diagnose and resolve the issue. Emphasize your problem-solving skills, thought process, and any tools or technologies that aided in the solution.

Share your enthusiasm for 10x Genomics’ mission of advancing biological understanding. Discuss how your values align with the company's goals, and mention any specific aspects of their technology or research that particularly inspire you.

Discuss the resources you use to keep up with industry trends, such as online courses, tech blogs, webinars, or conferences. Explain how you apply new knowledge to your work and how you share this information with your team.

Convey your perspective on software development priorities. For example, you could discuss the importance of user experience, the need for robust testing, or the significance of continuous feedback and improvement in creating effective software solutions.