Software Engineer - Platform Capacity (Remote, USA)

As a Software Engineer - Platform Capacity at Grafana Labs, your key responsibilities include developing and maintaining the Internal Engineering Platform, managing CI/CD processes, automating deployment systems, and working closely with various internal teams to meet their specific requirements. You’ll play an integral role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of our platforms, which support the observability tools our customers rely on.

To qualify for the Software Engineer - Platform Capacity role at Grafana Labs, candidates should have engineering or software development experience within a platform group serving internal teams. Familiarity with cloud environments, Kubernetes administration, and Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform or Crossplane is essential. Additionally, experience with observability systems is a bonus, showing your readiness to contribute from day one.

The company culture at Grafana Labs is friendly, collaborative, and respectful, encouraging a remote-first work environment. Team members are expected to communicate effectively and contribute to discussions while supporting consensus-driven decision-making. The culture promotes continuous learning and personal growth, making it an excellent place for Software Engineers to thrive professionally.

A Software Engineer - Platform Capacity at Grafana Labs should be proficient in Go but also be flexible enough to utilize the best tool for a task, even if that requires using shell scripts. Familiarity with Kubernetes, Docker, and Infrastructure as Code practices is critical. Experience with CI/CD processes and automation, particularly within cloud environments, will also be highly beneficial.

Grafana Labs offers numerous growth opportunities for Software Engineers through hands-on experience, collaborative projects, and leadership roles within teams. The organization actively supports learning and professional development, allowing team members to manage their own roadmaps and engage with a wealth of knowledge from seasoned engineers, ensuring continuous improvement and advancement in their careers.

In interviews, emphasize your experience with remote collaboration tools and practices. Highlight how you prioritize clear communication, use of collaborative platforms like GitHub or Slack, and establish regular check-ins to maintain alignment with team objectives. Stress your adaptability to different time zones and willingness to support team members.

When answering, choose a project that relates closely to the responsibilities of the Software Engineer - Platform Capacity role. Detail your specific contributions, the technologies used, challenges faced, and how you overcame them. Connect this experience back to how it prepares you for the challenges you might encounter at Grafana Labs.

Discuss the importance of continuous integration and continuous deployment in ensuring quality and speed in development. Provide examples of CI/CD pipelines you've implemented or worked with, and how they improved overall workflows and reduced deployment times.

Emphasize practices like automated testing, monitoring systems post-deployment, and regular performance evaluations. Mention the importance of writing robust code and how you utilize tools to catch issues early in the development process.

Share specific examples of applications you've deployed on Kubernetes, any challenges you faced, and how you configured services and managed resources. Highlight your understanding of container orchestration and how Kubernetes enhances scalability and reliability.

Mention resources like online courses, tech blogs, webinars, and community forums you participate in. Discuss your interest in contributing to open-source projects or engaging with professional networks to continue learning and applying new skills.

Provide details on projects where you’ve implemented Infrastructure as Code with tools like Terraform or Crossplane. Explain the benefits of IAC, such as improving consistency and enabling easier collaboration among team members.

Discuss your methodologies for agile development, including the use of code reviews, paired programming, and adopting test-driven development practices. Stress the importance of maintaining a balance between rapid development cycles and code quality.

Describe a specific incident, your role during the event, and the steps you took to resolve it. Highlight the importance of clear communication with your team during the incident and any measures implemented afterward to prevent similar occurrences.

Tailor your response to reflect your admiration for the company’s commitment to observability solutions and the impact Grafana tools have globally. Mention how their culture, projects, and focus on employee growth align well with your professional goals.