Staff Software Engineer, Product Search and Ranking

As a Staff Software Engineer at LTK, your primary responsibilities will include leading the development and scalability of the Product Catalog Service, Exact Product Matching Service, and Product Search Service. You’ll also work on designing complex systems, providing inputs for engineering excellence, and collaborating closely with the VP of Engineering to ensure projects are completed on time and meet high standards.

To qualify for the Staff Software Engineer role at LTK, candidates should have a minimum of seven years of experience in software development, specifically in distributed systems. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field is preferred, along with strong proficiency in Golang, Python, and various data storage technologies. Leadership experience, project management skills, and a continuous learning mindset are also essential.

LTK emphasizes career growth by providing opportunities to tackle challenging projects that have a real impact on the business. Staff Software Engineers are encouraged to mentor junior engineers, lead technical initiatives, and stay updated with industry trends, ensuring that your skills continue to grow in this dynamic environment.

At LTK, Staff Software Engineers will work with various technologies such as Golang, Python, vector databases, and data processing frameworks like Apache Spark and Apache Kafka. Additionally, familiarity with cloud platforms like AWS or Google Cloud and containerization tools like Docker and Kubernetes will be beneficial.

The work culture for Staff Software Engineers at LTK is remote-first and productivity-driven. LTK promotes a collaborative environment emphasizing innovation, mentorship, and a growth mindset where employees are encouraged to seize opportunities and provide feedback openly.

In response to this question, aim to share specific examples from your past projects where scalability was critical. Discuss your approach to designing systems that could handle large volumes of data and traffic, including any metrics or outcomes that demonstrate your impact on performance.

For this question, discuss your systematic approach to troubleshooting and resolving challenges. Mention methods such as root cause analysis, collaborative brainstorming sessions, or using debugging tools. Highlight a specific instance where your problem-solving led to a successful project outcome.

Mention the various resources you utilize for continuous learning, such as online courses, webinars, tech blogs, or industry conferences. Discuss your enthusiasm for experimenting with new tools and technologies in personal or side projects to stay ahead in your field.

When answering this question, focus on a project where you had a leadership role. Share the project’s purpose, the challenges faced, how you and your team overcame them, and the project results. Emphasize your contributions and the impact it had on the company or stakeholders.

Discuss your prioritization skills and how you effectively manage your time and resources. Provide examples of tools or strategies you use, such as Kanban boards or Agile methodologies, to keep projects on track while maintaining quality.

In your answer, refer to your commitment to best practices in coding, such as readability, maintainability, and adherence to established guidelines. Mention any specific examples from past work that demonstrate your focus on high coding standards and outcomes.

Here, focus on your philosophy towards mentorship. Discuss specific techniques you employ, such as pair programming, regular check-ins, or structured learning plans, and provide examples of how your mentoring approach has resulted in positive outcomes for your mentees.

When tackling this question, think critically about potential challenges such as dealing with vast amounts of data, ensuring high-performance indexing, or managing system integrations. Discuss how you would approach these challenges using your technical skills and experience.

Your response should highlight your commitment to code quality through processes like code reviews, automated testing, and continuous integration practices. Discuss any tools or frameworks you prefer that help maintain high standards of code quality.

For this question, detail your hands-on experience with cloud platforms, including which services you've used, any specific projects that leveraged cloud technologies, and the benefits you’ve observed from utilizing cloud infrastructure in your work.