Senior Software Engineer - Backend

As a Senior Software Engineer - Backend at Motive, you'll be instrumental in transforming product ideas into fully realized systems. Your primary responsibilities include collaborating with cross-functional teams to design scalable solutions and writing secure, maintainable code that powers our innovative platform. You'll also lead code reviews, determine the technical feasibility of features, and develop crucial projects that enhance Fleet Safety by integrating with leading Dashcam technologies.

To qualify for the Senior Software Engineer - Backend role at Motive, candidates should possess a degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field, along with at least 5 years of relevant software development experience. Strong programming skills in languages such as Ruby (Rails), GoLang, Java, Python, or NodeJS, as well as a solid understanding of databases like Postgres or MySQL, are essential for this role.

At Motive, a Senior Software Engineer - Backend should have strong programming skills in one or more languages including Ruby (Rails), GoLang, Java, Python, or NodeJS. Proficiency in these languages will enable you to write maintainable and scalable code that is essential for the success of our technology platform.

Collaboration for a Senior Software Engineer - Backend at Motive occurs within cross-functional teams that include product managers, safety managers, and other software engineers. This collaborative environment fosters innovation and allows you to impact not only the technical aspects but also the overall strategy of feature development for our platform.

Motive is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, reflected in our core values. Our Senior Software Engineer - Backend role is open to individuals from various backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and contribute significantly to our growth and success.

In interviews, highlight specific examples from your past roles where you've successfully scaled and troubleshot distributed systems. Discuss challenges faced, strategies enacted, and the technologies you utilized, demonstrating your ability to maintain performance and efficiency under load.

When answering this question, emphasize your commitment to secure coding practices. Discuss any methodologies you follow, such as incorporating security reviews in CI/CD pipelines, conducting code audits, and regularly updating dependencies to protect against vulnerabilities.

In your response, focus on your familiarity with relational databases like Postgres or MySQL. Share a specific instance where you optimized queries for performance, discussing techniques such as indexing, analyzing execution plans, or normalizing data to enhance database efficiency.

Explain your philosophy on code reviews, highlighting the importance of constructive feedback. Share specific experiences where you've successfully conducted reviews, encouraged discussions for best practices, and contributed to team learning and code quality improvements.

Discuss your proactive approach to professional development, whether it's attending workshops, following industry leaders on social media, participating in developer communities, or engaging in online learning programs. This shows you are passionate about continuous learning and adapting to new technologies.

Outline a thoughtful process where you gather requirements from stakeholders, conceptualize design approaches, draft technical specifications, and iterate through feedback cycles. Mention how you’d prioritize user experience and system scalability at every step.

Emphasize your commitment to clean code principles, including documentation, modular design, and adherence to coding standards. You can also mention using automated testing and CI/CD tools to ensure new changes don't break functionality.

Choose a project that showcases both your technical skills and problem-solving abilities. Detail challenges faced, the solutions you implemented, and the positive outcome. This not only shows your capabilities but also your resilience in challenging situations.

Discuss your approach to fostering open communication within your team, promoting transparency, and actively listening to others. Emphasize your ability to present complex technical information clearly and how collaboration drives project success.

Explain your belief in the value of feedback for personal and team growth. Highlight how you actively solicit feedback on your work and utilize it constructively, fostering a culture of continuous improvement within your team.