Senior Software Engineer

As a Senior Software Engineer at Polaron, your responsibilities will include developing and optimizing our cloud-based SaaS product, focusing on scaling our image frontend for high-resolution images and ensuring the performance of our data-intensive applications. You will be responsible for engaging with customers to define product features and overseeing their delivery from start to finish, as well as contributing to our public-facing API.

To qualify for the Senior Software Engineer position at Polaron, candidates should have a degree in Computer Science, Engineering, AI, Math, Physics, or equivalent work experience. It is essential to have over five years of experience as a product-focused software engineer and proficiency in writing maintainable code using statically typed programming languages such as TypeScript, Rust, or Java.

At Polaron, a Senior Software Engineer will be working with various technologies, including React for frontend development, AWS for cloud infrastructure, and tools like Terraform for provisioning. Familiarity with building performance-intensive canvas web applications and data-driven visualizations is also a plus.

Polaron promotes a vibrant company culture that emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to sustainability. As a Senior Software Engineer, you will be a crucial part of a dedicated team, contributing to a friendly environment that nurtures professional growth while encouraging team members to express their ideas and excel.

Polaron offers a competitive salary package along with comprehensive benefits for Senior Software Engineers. These include 25 holiday days plus 2 festive leave days, equity in the fast-growing company, gym membership, flexible working policies, and even free barista coffee at our East London office in Shoreditch.

When answering this question, highlight specific projects where you have utilized cloud technologies like AWS or Azure. Discuss the tools you used, such as Terraform for infrastructure provisioning, and how you optimized resources to meet user demand.

Discuss your strategies for maintaining code quality, such as writing unit tests, code reviews, employing linting tools, and adhering to coding standards. Share examples of how these practices have resulted in better maintainability and fewer bugs in delivered products.

Explain your method for prioritizing tasks, showcasing your ability to juggle technical duties while maintaining alignment with product goals. Emphasize the importance of understanding customer needs and delivering impactful features based on that understanding.

Detail your experience with user interface and user experience design principles. Share examples of applications you’ve worked on, focusing on how you incorporated user feedback into the design and development processes.

Share a specific technical challenge you faced, detailing your approach to problem-solving, the technologies used, and the outcome. Highlight the skills that make you an effective Senior Software Engineer and how you apply them to resolve issues.

Discuss your experience with data visualization libraries like D3 or Observable Plot, and specific projects where you implemented them. Explain how effective visualizations can enhance user experience and decision-making.

Mention your dedication to continuous learning through online courses, attending tech meetups, reading articles, or contributing to open-source projects. Providing specific examples shows your commitment to professional growth.

Talk about performance optimization techniques you've applied, such as code splitting, lazy loading, reducing render-blocking resources, and profiling to identify bottlenecks. Real-world examples can make your answer stand out.

Describe your debugging process, including steps such as isolating the problem, using debugging tools, conducting unit tests, and collaborating with team members. A structured approach can demonstrate your problem-solving capabilities.

Share your insights into the evolving relationship between AI and materials science, discussing potential applications and innovations. This will show your understanding of both the industry and Polaron's mission in this space.