Senior Software Engineer II, SRE

As a Senior Software Engineer II, SRE at Dandy, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining the infrastructure necessary to support our innovative dental technology products. This entails designing and implementing scalable systems and tooling that enhance the performance and security of our platforms. You will work closely with Product Engineers and other teams to ensure quality remains paramount throughout the development process. Additionally, you will advocate for necessary infrastructure improvements and address any technical debt to optimize team efficiency.

To qualify for the Senior Software Engineer II, SRE role at Dandy, candidates should have at least 8 years of software engineering experience, ideally within a high-growth startup environment. Proficiency with Google Cloud Platform and Google Kubernetes Engine is essential. Strong experience in observability and monitoring tools, along with a collaborative mindset and the ability to communicate effectively about complex technical challenges, are key requirements as well.

The Senior Software Engineer II, SRE at Dandy will work with a cutting-edge tech stack that includes TypeScript, NodeJS, NestJS, React/Redux, GraphQL, and Postgresql, along with platforms like GCP, Kubernetes, and Pulumi. Familiarity with observability tools such as Chronosphere and DataDog will also be beneficial as you contribute to maintaining our infrastructure's security and performance.

As a remote-first organization, Dandy is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment for its employees. We value clear communication and collaboration across teams, providing necessary tools and resources to ensure you can perform your role effectively from anywhere. Additionally, we are dedicated to building a diverse culture that encourages team members to share their unique perspectives and experiences.

A collaborative mindset is vital for the Senior Software Engineer II, SRE role at Dandy, as you'll be working closely with various teams including Product Engineering and Data. Collaboration facilitates the exchange of ideas and best practices, leading to innovative solutions and the effective execution of projects. This approach not only improves product quality, but also strengthens team relationships and fosters a culture of shared success.

When answering this question, you should detail your experience with Google Cloud Platform, emphasizing specific components you've worked with, such as Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Functions, or BigQuery. Share examples of projects where you utilized these technologies to implement scalable and secure solutions. Highlight your understanding of how these components integrate with other tools and systems, and demonstrate your familiarity with best practices for using GCP effectively.

In your response, narrate a specific instance where you identified performance bottlenecks in a system. Discuss the tools or methods you used to analyze performance metrics, the steps you took to optimize the system, and the measurable impact of your improvements. This showcases your analytical skills and your ability to implement effective solutions.

When asked about managing technical debt, explain your strategies for identifying technical debt during the development process. Discuss your approaches for prioritizing and addressing this debt, such as setting up regular code reviews, maintaining documentation, and involving the team in discussions about trade-offs. This illustrates your proactive mindset toward ensuring long-term software health.

Share your familiarity with observability tools like Chronosphere, Sentry, or DataDog. Provide examples of how you’ve implemented these tools to monitor applications in real-time, and how you’ve used insights from these tools to enhance system performance and reliability. This portrays your understanding of the importance of monitoring in system health.

Your answer should touch upon your commitment to following best practices in coding standards, writing clear documentation, and participating in code reviews. Discuss how you encourage adherence to these standards within your team, ensuring the code remains maintainable as the project evolves. This highlights your dedication to quality assurance.

In your response, describe specific use cases where you've utilized Kubernetes for deploying and managing containerized applications. Talk about how you've leveraged its orchestration features to improve scalability and reliability, and any challenges you’ve faced during implementation, demonstrating your practical knowledge and problem-solving skills.

When discussing collaboration with non-technical stakeholders, emphasize your approach to simplifying technical concepts into layman’s terms. Share examples of successful collaborations where transparent communication led to better project outcomes, showcasing your ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical team members.

In your answer, approach this question with an emphasis on constructive dialogue. Discuss how you initiate open conversations to understand their perspective, present your viewpoint respectfully, and collaborate toward a mutually accepted solution, emphasizing the importance of team cohesion and dynamics.

Outline a specific system that posed challenges, detailing the complexities involved in its design. Discuss your thought process, the strategies you employed to overcome those challenges, and what insights you gained throughout the project. This illustrates your resilience and capacity for continuous learning.

When responding, discuss the importance of incorporating security best practices throughout the software development lifecycle. Elaborate on techniques you utilize, such as code reviews, security audits, and adopting secure coding standards, highlighting how these practices benefit the overall integrity of the applications you develop.