Staff Automation Engineer

The Staff Automation Engineer at Addepar is responsible for architecting, developing, and maintaining scalable automation frameworks and tools. This includes leading efforts to support developer enablement and quality assurance, integrating automation into CI/CD workflows, and managing centralized software catalogs. Additionally, the role focuses on modernizing legacy systems, reducing technical debt, and defining robust test automation strategies.

To qualify for the Staff Automation Engineer role at Addepar, candidates should have proven experience as a technical leader in automation engineering or developer enablement. Key qualifications include expertise in designing automation frameworks for SOA and microservices, strong programming skills (Python, Java, JavaScript), and hands-on experience with CI/CD tools and infrastructure-as-code. A deep understanding of service integration testing and demonstrated success in improving DORA metrics is also essential.

Addepar fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture, emphasizing values such as ownership, teamwork, client success, and continuous learning. As a Staff Automation Engineer, you'll work closely with cross-functional teams to drive automation strategies aligned with organizational goals, making a meaningful impact on overall engineering efficiency and quality.

In the Staff Automation Engineer role at Addepar, you will work with a variety of tools and technologies including CI/CD platforms (Jenkins, GitHub Actions), infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform), and automation frameworks. Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Docker and orchestration tools like Kubernetes will also enhance your role while working with cloud-native platforms such as AWS.

The compensation package for the Staff Automation Engineer at Addepar ranges from $144,000 to $225,000, plus bonuses, equity, and benefits. The specific salary range is discussed further during the hiring process and reflects base salary only, not including additional incentives and benefits.

In answering this question, detail your previous roles and the specific automation frameworks you've developed or contributed to. Highlight your approach to designing frameworks for SOA and microservices, focusing on scalability and performance. Mention challenges faced during implementation and how you overcame them.

Speak to your proactive approach in identifying technical debt, such as reviewing legacy systems and assessing areas for modernization. Provide examples of successful initiatives you've led to enhance maintainability and improve automation tools, demonstrating your ability to align with best practices.

Explain your familiarity with CI/CD tools and describe the steps you take to incorporate automation solutions, such as implementing test data generation or environment setup. Share specifics about projects where you successfully achieved rapid feedback and seamless deployments through automation.

Discuss key metrics like those in the DORA framework (e.g., deployment frequency, lead time for changes). Show how you've utilized these metrics to identify areas of improvement in your previous roles and how they influenced decisions regarding automation strategies.

When faced with this question, recount a specific challenge related to automation you encountered, detailing the context, your thought process, and the innovative solutions you deployed. This showcases your problem-solving skills and technical acumen, essential for the role.

Articulate your experience with cloud platforms, focusing on how these technologies enhance automation. Share specific projects where you've utilized cloud services to build or scale automation frameworks, emphasizing the benefits it brought to the team or project.

Highlight the importance of cross-team collaboration in your work, focusing on how you advocate best practices and share insights with other teams. Provide examples of successful collaborations that led to improved integration tests or quality assurance efforts.

Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning by mentioning resources such as blogs, forums, or professional communities. Discuss specific tools or technologies you have recently explored or incorporated into your practice to stay ahead in automation engineering.

Discuss your methods for promoting knowledge sharing within the team, such as conducting workshops, creating documentation, or pairing programming sessions. Emphasize your belief in fostering a developer-first culture to enhance overall team performance.

In your response, explain how Agile and DevOps principles align with your approach to automation, focusing on collaboration, iterative development, and responsiveness. Provide examples of how you've applied these principles in previous projects to drive successful outcomes.