Systems Engineer

As a Systems Engineer at Altium, you'll lead system optimization efforts, work on complex cloud applications, and define technical strategies that ensure resilience and scalability. You will address system improvements, streamline deployment processes, and identify performance enhancement opportunities to elevate user experience.

To be considered for the Systems Engineer position at Altium, you need proven experience in similar roles, familiarization with system architecture principles, and a solid understanding of microservices and cloud services like AWS. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and knowledge of security best practices are also important for this role.

During the interview process for the Systems Engineer role at Altium, candidates will be asked to design a simple system, such as a URL shortener, using Miro or Figma. This exercise will evaluate your thinking regarding system architecture and user experience, along with your collaboration with design tools.

As a Systems Engineer at Altium, you should have expertise in system design and architecture, experience with caching strategies and load balancing, and a strong grasp of cloud services. Familiarity with web technologies, RESTful APIs, and knowledge of microelectronics can also be beneficial.

At Altium, you can expect a dynamic company culture that embraces fun team activities and offers a remote-friendly work environment. You'll have the flexibility to work from home or from our Lisbon office, along with perks like health insurance and a generous learning budget, supporting both your professional and personal growth.

When answering this question, focus on a project that showcases your ability to design and optimize systems. Describe your role, the challenges you faced, the architectural decisions you made, and how you ensured the system met performance and reliability targets.

Discuss specific strategies you employ to make systems scalable, such as using microservices architecture, load balancing, and database sharding. Share examples from your previous experience where these strategies led to improved system performance.

In your response, illustrate your familiarity with various cloud platforms, such as AWS or Azure. Mention specific services you’ve used and how they contributed to system effectiveness in your previous roles.

Highlight your approach to mitigating risks, such as implementing monitoring tools, creating redundancies, and having a robust incident response plan. Use examples of how you resolved past system failures successfully.

Mention tools like Miro or Figma that you’ve used for documenting system architecture. Discuss how these tools facilitate communication and understanding among team members, helping in project success.

Focus on the importance of teamwork and communication. Share an anecdote detailing the project, your role, the challenges you faced with dev teams, and the successful outcomes of your collaboration.

Talk about how you assess system performance metrics to identify bottlenecks. Share methods like A/B testing to evaluate proposed enhancements, ensuring that user experience remains a priority.

Discuss the programming languages you know, focusing on how they align with system design requirements. Emphasize any languages particularly relevant to the role, like Python or JavaScript, and provide anecdotal evidence of usage.

Talk about your understanding of security best practices in web application development. Describe strategies you utilize to ensure systems are secure, like data encryption, authentication protocols, and regular audits.

Provide insights into emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, and serverless architectures. Discuss how you plan to adapt to these trends and incorporate them into your systems.