Staff Software Developer, Platform Core

As a Staff Software Developer at PENN Entertainment, you'll design foundational components to enhance backend services' reliability and scalability. You will also build internal tools and libraries to support other teams, actively participate in engineering efforts, and advocate for product quality improvements. Additionally, mentoring fellow developers and collaborating to define best practices are key aspects of this role.

To apply for the Staff Software Developer position at PENN Entertainment, you should possess a strong foundation in computer science, with competencies in data structures, distributed systems, algorithms, and software design. Experience with Kubernetes, Kafka, and Java is essential, along with excellent communication skills and a passion for clean code architecture.

A Staff Software Developer at PENN Entertainment should be familiar with Kubernetes, Kafka, and Java. Additionally, knowledge of caching strategies, gRPC, RocksDB, and functional programming is considered a nice-to-have, as you will frequently work on designing and optimizing distributed systems.

At PENN Entertainment, the work environment for a Staff Software Developer is fun and relaxed, emphasizing collaboration and innovation. The team values knowledge sharing and maintains a high standard for code quality, providing a supportive space for career growth and leaning into new challenges.

PENN Entertainment is committed to supporting career growth for its Staff Software Developers through education reimbursements and opportunities for mentoring others. The company fosters an environment of continuous learning and encourages developers to explore new technologies and expand their skills.

During the interview, be prepared to discuss specific projects where you designed or optimized distributed systems. Focus on the challenges faced, the technologies used, and how you solved problems related to scalability and reliability.

It’s important to explain the strategies you utilize to maintain code quality, like code reviews, automated testing, and the use of static analysis tools. Mention your commitment to clean code and how you ensure maintainability in your codebases.

Share a specific scenario where you identified a quality issue and took the initiative to address it. Explain the steps you took to advocate for the necessary changes and the impact those changes had on the overall product.

Discuss your approach to mentoring, such as offering regular feedback, guiding them through complex problems, and encouraging them to take ownership of their projects. Sharing examples of successful mentoring experiences can also be beneficial.

Outline your problem-solving process, which could include breaking down the problem, conducting research, brainstorming potential solutions, and collaborating with teammates. Highlight a past example where you successfully resolved a significant challenge.

Share your experience with staying current on industry trends and how you evaluate new technologies for implementation. Discuss how you present your suggestions to the team and the rationale behind advocating for specific tools or frameworks.

Discuss your perspective on technical debt and the strategies you adopt to manage it, such as prioritizing refactor tasks, documenting technical debt clearly, and addressing it during sprint planning to ensure it doesn't accumulate.

In your response, highlight the specific projects where you utilized Kubernetes, focusing on the advantages it provided in terms of orchestration, scaling, and deployment of microservices within backend architectures.

Emphasize the importance of communication and collaboration tools that facilitate teamwork. Share examples of successful cross-team projects and how you ensured all stakeholders had their needs met throughout the development process.

Discuss any projects where you took the initiative to experiment with new tools, technologies, or processes. Sharing the outcomes of these innovations, both successes and lessons learned, can demonstrate your creative thinking.