As a Software Engineer focusing on Core Algorithms at Timely, you will design and improve the scheduling and optimization technologies that form the backbone of our product. Your role encompasses both enhancing algorithms and contributing to the broader backend architecture to ensure seamless performance in helping schools create effective schedules.

The ideal candidate for Timely's Software Engineer, Core Algorithms position should have at least 3 years of experience in building and scaling production systems using technologies such as Python (with Pandas and Numpy), cloud architectures like AWS, and familiarity with both NoSQL and relational databases. An understanding of optimization technologies is a plus!

At Timely, the culture is centered around collaboration, mentorship, and innovation. As a Software Engineer, you will work closely with product, customer success, and business teams, fostering a culture of feedback and continuous improvement, ensuring that our engineering practices support high-quality output.

Timely offers comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, unlimited paid time off, and generous parental leave. We understand the importance of work-life balance and are committed to supporting our team's well-being.

Timely approaches algorithm optimization by deeply analyzing scheduling needs across various schools. Using advanced techniques and stakeholder feedback, we aim to refine our scheduling algorithms, ensuring schools can allocate resources efficiently and meet their unique requirements.

A Software Engineer at Timely will lead initiatives aimed at enhancing our scheduling optimizer and contribute to developing new features that directly impact our software’s effectiveness in educational settings. You’ll be involved in everything from algorithm design to backend service improvements.

Yes, the Software Engineer role at Timely is remote-friendly, though we have a preference for candidates located in the New York City or Boston metropolitan areas. We embrace flexibility while ensuring our team remains connected and collaborative.

In response to this question, you should highlight any specific tools or algorithms you've worked with, such as MIP/SAT solvers. Discuss projects where you successfully applied these technologies to solve complex scheduling or resource allocation problems.

Describe your approach to prioritizing features based on stakeholder needs, system performance analytics, and user feedback. Share examples of how you've made data-driven decisions that effectively addressed critical scheduling challenges.

Talk about your experience with automated testing, code reviews, and CI/CD pipelines. Emphasize the importance of documentation and standards and share how you've encouraged best practices within your team to maintain high-code quality.

Detail a specific problem you encountered in algorithm design or system architecture. Walk through your thought process in identifying the issue, potential solutions, and collaborative efforts in overcoming the challenge.

This is an opportunity to showcase your interpersonal skills. Describe your approach to regular meetings, using collaborative tools, and how you actively seek feedback from stakeholders to ensure all perspectives are considered in the development process.

Discuss your hands-on experience using Python, especially libraries like Pandas and Numpy, for data manipulation and analysis in algorithm development. Provide examples of projects where you've implemented these tools in production environments.

Share a detailed experience where you've mentored junior engineers, how you provided guidance in their technical growth, and the impact it had on their development and the team's performance as a whole.

Explain your philosophy on technical debt and the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between new feature development and refactoring efforts. Provide examples of how you've managed debt in past projects, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Demonstrate your research about Timely and its innovative solutions in school scheduling. Discuss your understanding of the product’s impact on educational institutions and how your role as a Software Engineer would contribute to that mission.

Share your motivation for applying to Timely by aligning your passion for education technology and solving complex problems with the company’s mission. Highlight specific aspects of Timely’s work culture and product that resonate with you.