Software Engineer - Cloud Ops [IC3] - job 1 of 2

As a Software Engineer - Cloud Ops at Sourcegraph, you'll be responsible for developing inter-cloud connectivity solutions, building a control plane for managing cloud instances, and exposing complex infrastructure as APIs to foster rapid iterations. You'll work to create reliable services while participating in an on-call rotation to uphold service level agreements, ensuring our product meets the highest operational standards.

To be considered for the Software Engineer - Cloud Ops position at Sourcegraph, you should have proficiency in Go and experience with cloud platforms like GCP, AWS, or Azure. Familiarity with Infrastructure as Code (like Terraform) and Kubernetes is crucial. Additionally, strong debugging skills in distributed systems and the ability to communicate effectively are essential to thrive in this role.

The onboarding process for a Software Engineer - Cloud Ops at Sourcegraph involves familiarizing yourself with our architecture, tools, and workflows. Within a month, you will gain a solid understanding of the team’s challenges and start contributing by shipping new features. By the three-month mark, you’ll demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of our cloud infrastructure and collaboratively lead initiatives that contribute directly to our objectives.

Sourcegraph is committed to providing above-average compensation for our Software Engineer - Cloud Ops roles. We utilize market data and salary sources to determine pay bands, targeting high-end ranges to ensure competitiveness across various regions. Successful candidates can expect transparent salary discussions based on their experience and qualifications.

In your role as a Software Engineer - Cloud Ops, you'll engage with a variety of tools and technologies, including Go, Kubernetes, and Terraform. Knowledge of cloud service platforms like GCP, AWS, and Azure will also be critical. Your expertise will help us build infrastructure and automate processes that drive developer productivity and innovation across the organization.

When answering this question, highlight specific projects where you've utilized these platforms. Discuss your proficiency with services like compute, storage, and managed Kubernetes offerings. Provide examples of how you overcame challenges and achieved desired outcomes while working in the cloud.

Emphasize a structured approach to debugging, starting from logging and monitoring tools to identify issues. Explain how you isolate problems across various nodes and the importance of understanding the interconnected components of distributed systems. Showcase any tools or methodologies you prefer to use.

In your response, detail the projects where you've implemented Infrastructure as Code using Terraform. Talk about your understanding of module structuring, state management, and deployment strategies. If you have encountered challenges, mention how you overcame them using Terraform features.

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to outline the context of the problem, your responsibilities, the actions you took, and the results of your optimizations. Discuss metrics that showcase improvements, such as cost savings or increased deployment speed.

Explain strategic methods such as load balancing, redundancy, and failover systems. Discuss how design patterns such as microservices or serverless architecture can help you achieve high-availability and share any real-world applications from your previous experiences.

Outline your approach to API design, focusing on RESTful principles or GraphQL, and discuss the importance of proper documentation, versioning, and secure access. Additionally, mention testing practices you would employ to ensure a robust API.

Illustrate your ability to handle complexity by describing a specific project. Focus on the challenges faced, how you broke them down into manageable parts, the skills and tools you used, and how collaboration played a role in overcoming those obstacles.

Highlight the significance of clear and empathetic communication, especially in a remote setting. Share examples of tools (like Slack, Zoom, or project management software) you’ve used to facilitate effective collaboration and how you ensure alignment among team members.

Discuss your habits for continuous learning, whether through attending webinars, reading blogs, participating in online courses, or contributing to open-source projects. Mention any specific technologies or trends you are currently exploring.

Describe CI/CD as a set of practices that enables faster and safer software delivery. Provide specific examples of how you have implemented CI/CD pipelines in previous roles, emphasizing automation tools you’ve used, such as Jenkins, GitLab, or CircleCI.