Strand Life Sciences Backend Engineer Interview: Rounds, Questions and Preparation

What the job involves

Backend engineers in digital health build and maintain the server-side systems that power clinical genomics, diagnostic reports, and patient data platforms. At an established company like Strand Life Sciences, you might work on APIs that handle large genomic datasets, ensure data privacy for patient records, and integrate with hospital or lab systems. Day to day, you write code, design databases, optimise queries, and collaborate with bioinformaticians and product teams to deliver reliable health software.

Role and technical knowledge

1. 1

   How would you design a database schema to store patient genetic test results and associated metadata?

   Discuss tables for patients, tests, variants, and reports, with proper relationships and indexing. Mention considerations for data volume and query performance.

2. 2

   Explain how you would build a REST API endpoint to retrieve a patient's diagnostic report securely.

   Cover authentication, authorization, input validation, and returning JSON with appropriate status codes. Mention logging and rate limiting.

3. 3

   What are the key differences between SQL and NoSQL databases, and which would you choose for storing genomic variant data?

   Compare scalability, consistency, and query flexibility. For genomic data, argue for a choice based on structured queries and large data volumes, possibly a hybrid approach.

4. 4

   How do you ensure data privacy and compliance when handling sensitive health information in backend systems?

   Mention encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, audit logs, and regulations like HIPAA or India's DPDP Act. Emphasise the need for anonymisation where possible.

Practical scenarios

1. 5

   A lab uploads a large genomic file, and your API times out. How would you debug and resolve this?

   Suggest checking logs, profiling the upload endpoint, and considering asynchronous processing with a queue. Discuss chunked uploads or background jobs.

2. 6

   You need to integrate with a hospital's legacy system that uses SOAP. How would you approach this?

   Explain writing a adapter or middleware to translate between SOAP and REST, handling XML parsing, and ensuring reliability with retries.

3. 7

   Your team must add a new feature to generate PDF reports from genomic data. Outline your backend plan.

   Cover generating reports asynchronously, using a templating engine, storing files in object storage, and providing a download link via API.

4. 8

   How would you handle a sudden spike in API requests during a clinical trial data collection?

   Discuss horizontal scaling, load balancing, caching, and database read replicas. Mention monitoring and auto-scaling policies.

Behavioural and situational

1. 9

   Tell me about a time you had to learn a new technology quickly for a project.

   Use STAR method: describe the situation, the technology, your learning approach, and the outcome. Highlight resourcefulness and impact.

2. 10

   Describe a situation where you disagreed with a teammate on a technical decision. How did you handle it?

   Focus on respectful communication, data-driven discussion, and willingness to compromise. Show you prioritise team goals over ego.

3. 11

   Why do you want to work in digital health, and what excites you about companies like Strand Life Sciences?

   Connect personal interest in healthcare or biology with the impact of software. Mention specific aspects like precision medicine or improving patient outcomes.

4. 12

   Give an example of a time you had to explain a complex technical concept to a non-technical person.

   Choose a scenario where you simplified without losing accuracy. Emphasise clarity, listening, and checking for understanding.

HR and motivation

1. 13

   What do you know about our company and the digital health sector?

   Research the company's products, such as genomic testing or diagnostic solutions, and mention trends like personalised medicine or telemedicine.

2. 14

   Where do you see yourself in three years?

   Show ambition to grow technically and take on more responsibility, while aligning with the company's mission in healthcare.

3. 15

   How do you handle working under pressure or tight deadlines?

   Provide a concrete example of prioritisation, time management, and staying calm. Mention communication with stakeholders.

4. 16

   Do you have any questions for us?

   Ask about team structure, tech stack, or opportunities to learn about genomics. Avoid questions about salary or perks at this stage.