Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) (Hybrid/Onsite) - job 13 of 20

As a Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) at Open VisaNet, you will be responsible for developing performance plans and models for our payment processing applications. Your duties include conducting hands-on performance engineering activities, creating and executing load-testing tools, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and focusing on chaos-resiliency evaluations of microservices. Additionally, you'll analyze performance metrics and work on performance tuning to enhance application efficiency.

Candidates applying for the Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) position need to possess a deep understanding of application performance KPIs and experience with performance modeling. Proficiency in programming languages such as Go, Python, or Java is essential, alongside a solid grasp of microservices architecture and Linux operating systems. Experience with chaos testing, performance strategies, and ability to analyze system performance are also key qualifications.

The working environment for a Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) at Open VisaNet is hybrid, allowing for a mix of remote and onsite work. Employees typically work in the office 2-3 days per week, promoting collaboration while also offering the flexibility to work from home. This setup helps maintain team dynamics while focusing on performance engineering efforts effectively.

In the role of Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) at Open VisaNet, you will utilize various skills and tools such as performance modeling, chaos testing frameworks, and monitoring tools. Familiarity with Go profiling, CPU and memory analysis, and load-testing methodologies will be crucial. Moreover, collaboration with teams will require excellent communication and technical direction skills to enhance system performance effectively.

The Staff Software Engineer - Full Stack (Performance Engineering) plays a vital role in ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the payment processing systems at Open VisaNet. By focusing on performance engineering, conducting chaos testing, and providing actionable insights into system metrics, you help enhance service availability and performance, directly impacting business objectives and customer satisfaction.

When discussing a performance engineering project, focus on your role in identifying performance bottlenecks and the strategies you implemented to resolve them. Highlight tools you used for profiling, specific metrics you monitored, and how you collaborated with other teams. Be sure to showcase the project’s impact on system performance and any lessons learned.

Typical performance metrics include response times, throughput, error rates, and resource utilization (CPU, memory, disk I/O). When answering, explain how you prioritize which metrics to monitor based on application requirements and load patterns, and share examples of how you used this data to enhance performance.

Discuss your methodology for chaos engineering; for example, you could explain how you develop hypotheses about potential failure points and design experiments to simulate these failures. Including any software tools or frameworks you’ve used to facilitate chaos testing would add depth to your answer.

Be honest about your experiences with performance testing challenges. Discuss how you overcame issues such as simulating realistic load, managing unpredictable bottlenecks, or coordinating with teams during the testing phases. This not only shows your problem-solving skills but also your ability to adapt.

Share your process for validating the accuracy of performance tests, including steps like designing tests to replicate real-world scenarios and isolating variables during testing. Mention any automated tools or frameworks you use to maintain consistency in testing.

Provide a relevant example where you identified a performance issue that needed attention. Explain how you gathered data to support your case, presented it to stakeholders, and the positive outcomes that emerged from your advocacy, emphasizing your communication and persuasion skills.

Discuss your proactive strategies for staying up-to-date on performance engineering trends, such as following relevant blogs, participating in webinars, attending industry conferences, or engaging with online communities. This shows your commitment to professional growth.

Elaborate on the load testing tools you have used in past projects, such as JMeter, Gatling, or LoadRunner. Provide examples of how you set up tests and interpreted the results to identify performance bottlenecks, showcasing both your technical skills and analytical thinking.

Explain your techniques for application performance optimization, including code reviews, architectural assessments, and leveraging caching mechanisms. Provide examples of optimizations you implemented and the impact they had on system performance.

Discuss your approach to troubleshooting performance issues in production, emphasizing the importance of rapid root cause analysis, monitoring, and coordination with development teams. Providing an example of a production incident you managed will reinforce your practical experience.