Ellucian is a global leader in EdTech for higher education, serving over 2,900 customers and 22 million students in 50 countries. The company focuses on empowering student success through innovative solutions that span the entire student lifecycle.

The Software Engineer role at Ellucian involves a variety of responsibilities, from participating in agile scrum environments to developing large-scale, low-code data transformation software. Candidates should be proficient in computer science fundamentals, programming languages (preferably JavaScript/Node.js, Python), and tools like React and Jenkins. Strong communication skills and a willingness to learn new technologies are essential.

Join Ellucian and contribute to shaping the future of higher education through cutting-edge software solutions. This guide will help you navigate the interview process and prepare for commonly asked questions. Let's get started!

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Ellucian as a Software Engineer. Whether you were contacted by an Ellucian recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV to meet the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV is shortlisted, a recruiter from the Ellucian Talent Acquisition Team will contact you to verify key details such as your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the Ellucian Software Engineering hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also engage in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The recruiter call typically takes about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the Ellucian Software Engineer role usually is conducted virtually, including video conferencing and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour-long interview stage may revolve around Ellucian’s data systems, design patterns, databases, queries, and your experiences with front-end and back-end work.

This interview does not involve a coding challenge but focuses on reviewing your resume, technologies, projects, and past work experiences. Questions such as "What's an API?", "Design patterns," "How do you handle a reported bug in production?" might be asked.

Onsite Interview Rounds

After passing the technical virtual interview, you’ll be invited to attend onsite interview rounds. Multiple interview rounds will be conducted during your day at the Ellucian office. Your technical prowess, including programming capabilities, will be evaluated. This stage can range from algorithm-based questions to system design problems.

If take-home exercises were assigned, a presentation round might await you during the onsite interview. Additionally, discussions around agile methodologies and team dynamics would be crucial in these rounds.

Quick Tips For Ellucian Software Engineer Interviews

To excel in your Ellucian Software Engineer interview, consider these tips:

1. Know Ellucian’s Products: Questions are often standardized and relate directly to EdTech products. Research Ellucian’s products thoroughly to understand how you could enhance or work with them.

2. Be Data-Driven: Even though you won't face a coding challenge, understanding the logic behind data structures, databases, and queries will help. Brush up on your fundamentals to answer questions confidently.

3. Humanize Your Approach: Ellucian values transformation through human-centric solutions. Practice responding to behavioral questions with answers that align with Ellucian’s core values of leadership, innovation, and growth.

Typically, interviews at Ellucian vary by role and team, but commonly Software Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• How would you explain linear regression to a child, a college student, and a mathematician? Explain the concept of linear regression to three different audiences: a child, a first-year college student, and a seasoned mathematician. Tailor your explanations to each audience's understanding level.

• How would you evaluate the suitability and performance of a decision tree model for predicting loan repayment? As a data scientist at a bank, you need to build a decision tree model to predict if a borrower will repay a personal loan. Evaluate whether a decision tree is the correct model and how to assess its performance before and after deployment.

• How would you justify using a neural network model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders? Your manager asks you to build a neural network model to solve a business problem. Justify the complexity of the model and explain its predictions to non-technical stakeholders.

• How does random forest generate the forest, and why use it over logistic regression? Explain how random forest generates its forest of trees. Discuss why you might choose random forest over other algorithms like logistic regression.

• What are the key differences between classification models and regression models? Describe the main differences between classification models and regression models.

• How much should we budget for the coupon initiative in total? A ride-sharing app has a probability (p) of dispensing a $5 coupon to a rider. The app services (N) riders. Calculate the total budget needed for the coupon initiative.

• What is the probability of both riders getting the coupon? A driver using the app picks up two passengers. Determine the probability that both riders will receive the coupon.

• What is the probability that only one of them will get the coupon? A driver using the app picks up two passengers. Determine the probability that only one of the riders will receive the coupon.

• What is a confidence interval for a statistic and why is it useful? Explain what a confidence interval is, why it is useful to know the confidence interval for a statistic, and how to calculate it.

• What is the probability that item X would be found on Amazon's website? Amazon has a warehouse system where items are located at different distribution centers. In one city, the probability that item X is available at warehouse A is 0.6 and at warehouse B is 0.8. Calculate the probability that item X would be found on Amazon's website.

• Is this a fair coin? You flip a coin 10 times, and it comes up tails 8 times and heads twice. Determine if the coin is fair.

• What are time series models and why do we need them? Describe what time series models are and explain why they are needed when less complicated regression models are available.

• What are the drawbacks of having student test scores organized in the given layouts? Assume you have data on student test scores in two different layouts. Identify the drawbacks of these layouts and suggest formatting changes to make the data more useful for analysis. Additionally, describe common problems seen in "messy" datasets.

• How would you locate a mouse in a 4x4 grid using the fewest scans? You have a 4x4 grid with a mouse trapped in one of the cells. You can scan subsets of cells to know if the mouse is within that subset. How would you determine the mouse's location using the fewest number of scans?

• How would you select Dashers for Doordash deliveries in NYC and Charlotte? Doordash is launching delivery services in New York City and Charlotte. Describe the process for selecting Dashers (delivery drivers) and whether the criteria for selection should be the same for both cities.

• What factors could bias Jetco's study on boarding times? Jetco, a new airline, had a study showing it has the fastest average boarding times. Identify factors that could have biased this result and what you would investigate further.

• How would you design an A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase for a B2B SAAS company? You work at a B2B SAAS company interested in testing different subscription pricing levels. Design a two-week A/B test to evaluate a pricing increase and determine if it is a good business decision.

• Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. Write a SQL query to select the 2nd highest salary in the engineering department. If more than one person shares the highest salary, the query should select the next highest salary.

• Create a function to find the maximum number in a list of integers. Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

• Develop a function convert_to_bst to convert a sorted list into a balanced binary tree. Given a sorted list, create a function convert_to_bst that converts the list into a balanced binary tree. The output binary tree should have a height difference of at most one between the left and right subtrees of all nodes.

• Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar. Write a function to simulate drawing balls from a jar. The colors of the balls are stored in a list named jar, with corresponding counts of the balls stored in the same index in a list called n_balls.

• Create a function can_shift to determine if one string can be shifted to become another. Given two strings A and B, write a function can_shift to return whether or not A can be shifted some number of places to get B.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Ellucian?

Q: What is the interview process for a Software Engineer position at Ellucian?

The interview process at Ellucian typically includes a review of your resume, discussion about your technologies, projects, and past work experiences. You might also be asked general questions like "What's an API?", "Design patterns", "Databases and queries", and "Front-end and back-end work". Additionally, there are questions focused on problem-solving processes, like fixing a reported bug in production.

Q: What qualifications and skills does Ellucian look for in a Software Engineer candidate?

Ellucian looks for candidates who are pursuing a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. They value strong proficiency in computer science fundamentals, including data structures and algorithms. Good written and verbal communication skills, a desire to learn to code and problem-solve, attention to detail, and the ability to meet deadlines are also important. Proficiency in high-level programming languages and tools such as Node.js, JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Jenkins, and Terraform is preferred.

Q: What kind of work environment can I expect at Ellucian?

At Ellucian, you will participate in a collaborative and supportive culture. You will be working in a multi-team agile scrum software development environment, engaging with product leadership and analysts to clarify requirements, and participating in continuous improvement processes. Interns and new hires alike are given real-world projects that impact clients and use the latest technologies and methodologies.

Q: How can I prepare for the technical interview at Ellucian?

To prepare for your technical interview at Ellucian, it is beneficial to review computer science fundamentals such as data structures and algorithms. Familiarize yourself with high-level programming languages and tools that the company prioritizes. Studying how to solve common software engineering problems and practicing your coding skills with platforms like Interview Query can be very helpful.

Q: What are the benefits of joining Ellucian as a Software Engineer?

Ellucian offers various benefits that enhance the #Ellucianlife, including paid holidays, 2 charity days, food vouchers, flexible time, and rewards and recognition programs. Besides the tangible benefits, you will gain valuable real-world experience, mentorship, and the opportunity to work on impactful projects in a supportive team environment.

To conclude, Ellucian offers a unique and fulfilling experience for aspiring software engineers. The interview process at Ellucian focuses on understanding your background, technical skills, and problem-solving approach, rather than just coding challenges. This creates a more comprehensive and engaging evaluation of candidates.

Ellucian is committed to powering education through innovation and transformation, providing an environment that values human connection, leadership, and growth. As the global market leader in EdTech, Ellucian supports the entire student lifecycle, enhancing higher education for millions of students worldwide.

Ellucian's internship and career opportunities are highly regarded, with top rankings in various categories. Interns are given the tools and mentorship needed to make meaningful contributions, working on projects that impact higher education institutions. The program emphasizes learning, collaboration, and development in a supportive culture.

For more insights about the company, check out our main Ellucian Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every Ellucian interview question and challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!