Site Reliability Engineer - Hybrid - job 2 of 2

As a Site Reliability Engineer at GM Financial, you’ll be responsible for building and maintaining large-scale software systems. This includes collaborating with architecture and development teams to ensure applications are highly available and reliable. You'll also be expected to implement service level objectives, optimize uptime through automation, and participate in troubleshooting efforts. Your collaborative skills will help guide development teams in understanding performance expectations, making sure that the services we provide meet business needs.

To qualify for the Site Reliability Engineer position at GM Financial, candidates should possess 3-5 years of experience in software development and test automation, as well as web development experience. A strong understanding of service level objectives and indicators is crucial. Additionally, expertise in high-level programming languages and automation tools, along with a degree in a related field, is required. A Master’s Degree is preferred but not mandatory.

A Site Reliability Engineer at GM Financial will work with an array of modern tools and technologies, including Azure DevOps, Terraform, Jenkins, and Docker for pipeline automation. They’ll also engage with source code repositories like Git, performance monitoring tools such as Splunk, and various databases including Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server. Comfort with cloud platforms, particularly Azure, and programming languages like Java and C# is essential for success in this role.

GM Financial understands the importance of work-life balance, especially for Site Reliability Engineers who often face complex challenges. The position offers a flexible hybrid work environment, allowing team members to work in the office two days a week while enjoying the flexibility to work from home on other days. This ensures that you can manage your personal and professional life effectively as you contribute to exciting projects within the company.

The culture at GM Financial for Site Reliability Engineers is dynamic, inclusive, and innovative. Team members are encouraged to share ideas and leverage their skills in a collaborative atmosphere. There’s a strong emphasis on community and belonging, as well as on continuous improvement. This environment not only boosts individual performance but also ensures the team's overall success, fostering a unique blend of a startup mindset coupled with the stability of a well-established company.

Service Level Objectives (SLO) are critical metrics that define the expected level of service that a system should provide. As a Site Reliability Engineer, understanding SLOs helps ensure the reliability and availability of applications. When discussing SLOs in an interview, emphasize their role in aligning engineering efforts with business needs, and detail how you would measure and maintain them.

In this role, automation is key to optimizing uptime and performance. When answering this question, share specific examples of how you implemented automation solutions in past positions. Discuss the tools and methodologies you used, the challenges you faced, and the positive outcomes of your efforts, particularly in relation to application/service uptime.

Troubleshooting is a vital skill for a Site Reliability Engineer. Describe your systematic approach, which may include gathering root cause analysis, collaborating with teammates, and leveraging monitoring tools. Explain how you prioritize issues based on their impact and communicate effectively with stakeholders, highlighting experience with past incidents.

Discuss your hands-on experience with Azure, detailing specific projects where you utilized its services for application deployment or infrastructure management. Highlight any challenges you faced while working with Azure and how you overcame them, focusing on how you optimized performance and reliability for applications hosted on the platform.

A culture of learning is crucial for continuous improvement. Share strategies you have employed in the past, such as organizing knowledge-sharing sessions, promoting mentorship, or encouraging team members to pursue professional development. Discuss the benefits of creating an environment where everyone can contribute and grow.

Documentation is essential for maintaining clarity and consistency in processes. In your response, stress the importance of knowledge transfer, onboarding new team members, and ensuring everyone is on the same page. Share experiences where thorough documentation has directly contributed to successful project outcomes or reduced downtime.

Ensuring high availability involves multiple strategies, including designing for redundancy, load balancing, and automated recovery processes. Discuss your methodology, including describing specific architectures you've implemented or maintained, and how you measure success via uptime metrics and user satisfaction.

Containerization is key in modern application development and deployment. Discuss your experience with Docker or other container technologies, focusing on how you’ve used them to streamline deployments, improve resource management, or simplify scaling of applications. Include any specific projects where you successfully implemented these technologies.

Anticipating challenges shows foresight and critical thinking. Present common challenges such as maintaining system performance under load, managing change across distributed systems, or navigating organizational silos. Discuss how you plan to address these potential obstacles through proactive communication and continuous monitoring.

Staying updated with industry trends is vital for a Site Reliability Engineer. Describe your methods for keeping knowledge current, such as engaging with relevant online communities, attending webinars or conferences, or following publications and thought leaders in the field. Share how this knowledge has informed your previous work and decision-making.