Senior Ruby Software Engineer

As a Senior Ruby Software Engineer at tastytrade, your main responsibilities will include developing and enhancing our backend systems and applications, leading small project teams, conducting peer code reviews, and transforming technical requirements into high-quality production code. Additionally, you'll be expected to mentor junior engineers, evaluate new technologies, and help scale our existing systems to improve our overall performance.

To qualify for the Senior Ruby Software Engineer position at tastytrade, you should have at least 5 years of professional experience in software engineering, including time served in a technical lead or mentoring capacity. A mastery of one programming language, preferably Ruby, is essential, and experience with additional languages such as C++ or Java would be beneficial. Moreover, a willingness to rapidly learn new frameworks and languages is a must.

In the role of Senior Ruby Software Engineer at tastytrade, you can expect a collaborative environment where teamwork is highly valued. You'll work closely with both junior and senior engineers, participating in code reviews, project planning, and implementation discussions. Sharing knowledge and supporting your teammates’ growth will be integral to your role, ensuring that everyone contributes to the success of our projects.

The typical development process for a Senior Ruby Software Engineer at tastytrade involves collaborating with product teams to translate requirements into technical solutions, engaging in iterative development with a focus on performance and stability, conducting thorough peer reviews, and constantly looking for opportunities to optimize existing systems. You will also participate in sprint planning and retrospective meetings to continuously improve our processes.

As a Senior Ruby Software Engineer at tastytrade, you'll enjoy a variety of perks including performance bonuses, a 401k plan, generous vacation and sick leave policies, and wellness programs. Our office environment promotes a healthy work-life balance with minimal on-call responsibilities, and you will have access to gym memberships, catered lunches, and even commuter benefits—all within the vibrant West Loop area of Chicago.

When addressing your experience with Ruby, be specific about projects where you used Ruby extensively, focusing on how you built scalable systems or applications. Highlight your understanding of Ruby on Rails if applicable, and discuss any challenges you overcame that demonstrate your problem-solving skills.

In your answer, emphasize your philosophy on mentorship, such as fostering an inclusive environment where questions are encouraged. Provide examples of how you've guided juniors through code reviews or technical challenges, detailing the impact of your mentorship on their growth and the team's success.

Include methodologies such as test-driven development, peer code reviews, and using automated testing frameworks. Discuss how these practices not only enhance code quality but also reduce bugs in production, ultimately leading to a better user experience.

Describe a specific project, the challenges you faced, and the innovative solutions you implemented. Highlight your critical thinking and collaboration skills, detailing how you worked with your team to successfully navigate obstacles and achieve project goals.

Discuss your commitment to continuous learning through online courses, attending conferences, or participating in coding communities. Explain how you integrate new technologies into your work at tastytrade and how this contributes to your team's success.

Explain the importance of performance profiling in creating efficient applications. Discuss your experience with profiling tools and how you use performance data to identify bottlenecks, informing high-level architectural decisions or optimizations in your projects.

Describe your approach to prioritization, possibly mentioning the use of project management tools or frameworks like Agile. Emphasize the importance of communication with stakeholders to align priorities and deadlines, ensuring project milestones are met.

Share your deployment experiences, detailing the processes and tools you've used to ensure successful application launches. Mention any rollback strategies you've implemented and how you handle post-deployment monitoring and troubleshooting.

Discuss your openness to feedback and how you actively seek it to improve your coding practices. Provide examples of how you've applied feedback in past projects, demonstrating your willingness to learn and improve continuously.

Express your enthusiasm for tastytrade's mission and culture, and highlight how your skills align with their goals. Mention specific aspects of their technology stack or company values that resonate with you, showing that you are genuinely interested in contributing to their success.