API Engineer

To be considered for the API Engineer role at Vic.ai, candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related fields, with 2+ years of software development experience. Strong proficiency in Elixir programming and a solid understanding of REST and GraphQL APIs are crucial. Experience with Linux environments, PostgreSQL, and iPaaS platforms would also be beneficial.

An API Engineer at Vic.ai is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining high-performance APIs that drive our AI-based SaaS platform. This role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams to integrate data flows and ensure the successful deployment of API solutions.

Vic.ai provides a comprehensive benefits package for API Engineers including competitive salaries, stock options, 401K matching, extensive health coverage, a monthly wellness stipend, and generous vacation policies. Additionally, there are opportunities for remote work and in-person retreats.

For the API Engineer position at Vic.ai, proficiency in Elixir is essential. Candidates should also be open to working with other languages as needed. Familiarity with REST and GraphQL APIs is strongly recommended.

Vic.ai fosters a people-focused culture where employee growth is a priority. Team members have access to professional development resources, virtual team-building events, and in-person retreats, creating an environment that promotes learning and collaboration.

API Engineers at Vic.ai will enjoy a dynamic and innovative work environment that emphasizes collaboration and creativity. The team values authenticity and encourages employees to bring their best selves to work in a remote-first culture.

To prepare for an interview for the API Engineer role at Vic.ai, candidates should familiarize themselves with the company's products, the technology stack, and common API design patterns. Practicing coding challenges in Elixir and understanding REST vs. GraphQL methodologies can also help.

Absolutely! REST is an architectural style that uses fixed endpoints and HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, DELETE to manage resources. GraphQL, on the other hand, allows clients to request only the data they need through a single endpoint, providing more flexibility and efficiency. It's often favored for complex applications where bandwidth and performance are critical.

When discussing API authentication, it’s important to highlight your familiarity with methods like OAuth 2.0, API keys, and JWT (JSON Web Tokens). Each method has its use cases, and showing an understanding of how to implement these securely can set you apart.

In answering this question, focus on a specific project where you faced challenges such as scaling issues or integration problems. Describe the steps you took to diagnose and resolve the issues, emphasizing your problem-solving skills and teamwork.

To ensure performance and reliability, I would implement monitoring tools to track API usage and response times, conduct load testing to anticipate scalability needs, and establish robust error handling and logging to assist in diagnosing failures promptly. Detail any tools or strategies you've used in past roles.

Best practices for API versioning include using semantic versioning to indicate breaking changes, including the version number in the API endpoint (e.g., /v1/resource), and maintaining backward compatibility as much as possible. This ensures that clients are not disrupted when updates occur.

Automated testing is crucial for ensuring API reliability. I typically set up unit tests for individual components, integration tests for data flow, and end-to-end tests to ensure the entire system functions as expected. Frameworks like Postman, JMeter, or Jest can be mentioned as tools I have used.

In API development, handling error responses effectively is vital. I ensure that my APIs return standardized error formats that provide meaningful messages, appropriate HTTP status codes, and any relevant debugging information without exposing sensitive data. This helps users understand and navigate issues more easily.

Optimizing API latency can be approached through various strategies, such as minimizing payload sizes, employing caching mechanisms, optimizing database queries, and utilizing CDNs. Discussing these techniques shows your understanding of both front-end and back-end considerations for performance.

Good API documentation is key for developer experience. I would ensure documentation is clear, concise, and covers authentication methods, endpoints, request and response examples, and potential error codes. Tools like Swagger or Postman can be used to create interactive and user-friendly documentation.

I have utilized a variety of tools for API testing and development, such as Postman for testing endpoints, Swagger for documentation, and frameworks like Express.js for building APIs. Mentioning specific technologies you’re comfortable with can be a strong point in your response.