Behavioural

Question 1

Can you tell me about yourself and your experience?

Answer 1

• Fullstack Developer
• Upp.ai, Deloitte and BAE Systems
• Build frontend web applications; React, Next.JS, Typescript, Javascript, HTML, CSS
• Build backend microservices; Node/Express, Python/Flask API, Java
• Archiectured new platforms and applications; stakeholder management; requirements analysis, development feasibility & timelines
• Led engineering teams at Deloitte & Upp.ai; Mentored & guided developers in career, code support

Question 2

Tell me about a time you led a team through a challenging project

Answer 2

• Upp.ai, leading team of engineerings on scaling and improve the AdTech AI platform.
• Had to join and get up to speed personally on existing platform, codebase and business terms
• Existing team didn’t follow a structured development cycle (i.e. planning, design, QA, little code reviews), lead to misalignments, bugs and delayed deliveries.
• Existing code also was hard to navigate, understand and maintain, and system often suffered with slow loadtimes.
• New Data Pivot table feature implemented with less bug and production issues than other deliveriable, improved speed of backend API using caching, database indexing and lazy loading.
• Company was also going through ISO27001 audit and had little security processes; introduced regular review of security proccesses, permissions; authentication optimisations, security documentation; led to successful audit.
• Ran developer sessions to educate team and ideal development processes and why they’re required, fostered collaboration and discussions to improve team communiation and alignment, and agile ceremonies to improve team velocity, communication and delivery.

Question 3

Tell me about a time you handled conflict or misalignment in a team.

Answer 3

• Upp.ai, team was suffering from conflicting engineering viewpoints, bugs, delivery delays/blockers
• Engineering day to align team and external teams with ways of working, engineering princliples and structure development cycle; also shared and discussed issues and collaborated on team solutions.
• Introducted technical design planning to promote knowledge sharing, support risk management and better delivery estimations;
• Also lead aligninment sessions with key engineers and product; pushed for and supported improving roadmap planning and development through iteration to improve code quality and delivery speed;
• Also shaped the teams testing and QA culture to improve platform testability and reduce bug count.

Question 4

Describe a situation where you had to influence technical direction.

Answer 4

• Deloitte, led and archiectured the Challenge:AI platform
• With support from more experienced archiectures, and a research & design phase; chose tech stack and archiecture-pattern, type of engineering support and experience needed; documented archiecture plans and decided technical direction and scope
• Key liason between technical team and the product, data and senior stakeholders; discussed key business requirements and priorities

Question 5

Tell me about a conflict you faced in a team and how you handled it.

Answer 5

• Upp.ai
• Senior Engineer, Male, Worked at Amazon, Highly competitive and combative
• Openly undermine and not complete work
• Sought advice from manager on approach
• Held 1:1 meeting to understand underlying issues; clarify roles and expectations
• Resulted in changed behaviour, increased respect and completion of assigned work

Question 6

Tell me about a time you improved a process or system.

Answer 6

• Upp.ai
• Existing team did little to no design or planning and no had security processes
• Issue were causing re-occuring bugs, constant blockers and upcoming audit where little to no security controls were handled
• Gathered engineer team together to run engineering day; walked through development cycle; discussed issues & solutions; aligned on ways of working; engineering pricinples agreed; created a sub-security team to follow new security processes
• Better aligned on requirements, improved planning sessions, collaboration and knowledge sharing; reduced bugs; improved sprint delivery times; and passed ISO27001 audit.