Roche Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, committed to advancing science and improving people’s lives. As one of the largest biotechnology companies in the world, Roche is known for its innovative approach to healthcare solutions, driving significant advancements in medical sciences.

The Software Engineer position at Roche Sequencing Solutions involves developing cutting-edge applications for DNA sequencing instruments and workflows. This role demands a deep understanding of software engineering, proficiency in programming languages such as Java and Python, and expertise in designing high-performance distributed systems. You will collaborate with experts in various fields to create high-quality, reliable, and innovative software products.

If you’re ready to impact healthcare through technology, our interview guide will provide you with crucial insights and tips to navigate the comprehensive process and the potential Roche software engineer interview questions. Discover how to prepare effectively and what to expect from this exciting opportunity!

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority; however, you can expect the following on a Roche software engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Roche Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

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

The whole recruiter call should take 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 Roche software engineer role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may revolve around Roche’s data systems, development practices, and specific technical skills such as command-line operations.

In the case of software engineering roles, take-home assignments are incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency with algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and software design principles may also be assessed during the round.

You may also be requested to participate in a whiteboard session or coding challenges during the virtual interview.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Roche office or via video conferencing in the case of remote interviews.

Technical rounds will deeply dive into your programming capabilities, system design, and problem-solving skills. Behavioral and situational questions may also be asked to gauge your cultural fit and collaboration skills.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview.

Typically, interviews at Roche vary by role and team, but common software engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics:

1. Create a function max_substring to find the maximal substring shared by two strings.

Given two strings, string1 and string2, write a function max_substring to return the maximal substring shared by both strings. If there are multiple max substrings with the same length, return any one of them.

2. Write a function moving_window to find the moving window average of a list of numbers.

Given a list of numbers nums and an integer window_size, write a function moving_window to find the moving window average.

3. Create a function to determine if a string is a palindrome.

Given a string, write a function to determine if it is a palindrome. A palindrome reads the same forwards and backwards.

4. Write a query to find users currently “Excited” and never “Bored” with a campaign.

You have a table of users’ impressions of ad campaigns over time. Write a query to find all users that are currently “Excited” and have never been “Bored” with a campaign.

5. Develop a function search_list to check if a target value is in a linked list.

Write a function, search_list, that returns a boolean indicating if the target value is in the linked_list or not. The linked list is represented as a dictionary with value and next keys.

6. Would you think there was anything fishy about the results of an A/B test with 20 variants?

Your manager ran an A/B test with 20 different variants and found one significant result. Would you suspect any issues with these results?

7. What considerations should be made when testing hundreds of hypotheses with many t-tests?

You are testing numerous hypotheses using multiple t-tests. What factors should you consider to ensure the validity of your results?

8. How would you generate a daily report and evaluate campaign performance for the first 7 days?

Given a schema representing advertiser campaigns and impressions, generate a daily report for the first 7 days. Evaluate campaign performance and identify which promos need attention using specific heuristics.

9. How would you investigate if a redesigned email campaign led to an increase in conversion rates?

A new marketing manager redesigned the new-user email journey, and conversion rates increased from 40% to 43%. However, the rate was previously 45% before dropping to 40%. How would you determine if the redesign caused the increase?

10. What kind of analysis would you conduct to recommend UI changes for a community forum app?

You have access to tables summarizing user event data for a community forum app. What analysis would you perform to suggest improvements to the user interface?

11. How do we handle missing square footage data to predict housing prices in Seattle?

You have 100K sold listings over the past three years, but 20% are missing square footage data. How would you address this missing data to construct an accurate model for predicting housing prices?

12. What is the downside of only using the R-Squared ((R^2)) value to determine the relationship between two variables?

You are analyzing how well a model fits the data and want to determine the relationship between two variables. What are the limitations of relying solely on the R-Squared value?

13. Is a coin that comes up tails 8 times and heads twice in 10 flips fair?

You flip a coin 10 times, resulting in 8 tails and 2 heads. Is this coin fair?

14. How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical?

Explain the concept of a p-value in simple terms to someone without a technical background.

15. What’s the probability that (2X > Y) given two independent standard normal random variables (X) and (Y)?

Given two independent standard normal random variables (X) and (Y), calculate the probability that (2X > Y).

You should plan to brush up on any technical skills and try as many practice interview questions and mock interviews as possible. A few tips for acing your Roche interview include:

1. Prepare on Technical Depth: Roche interviews often delve deeply into technical subjects. Be sure to review algorithms, system design, data structures, and specific technologies listed in the job description.

2. Detail Your Experience: Be ready to discuss various projects you’ve worked on, specifically focusing on your role and contributions, the challenges faced, and how you overcame them.

3. Understand the Industry: Roche operates in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors, so having a clear understanding of how your software engineering skills can contribute to the broader goals of the company can set you apart.

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

What specific technical skills does Roche look for in a Software Engineer?

Roche values strong technical skills in Java, Spring framework, and microservices architecture. Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, familiarity with DevOps practices, and knowledge of RESTful APIs and messaging systems are also highly desirable.

What is the company culture like at Roche?

Roche has a vibrant and collaborative culture that encourages innovation and curiosity. The company is known for its commitment to diversity and its forward-thinking approach to healthcare technology. Employees are expected to work together to push the frontiers of healthcare.

The interview process at Roche for the Software Engineer position offers a blend of technical challenges and professional engagement, reflecting the company’s high standards and dedication to innovation.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Roche Interview Guide, where we have covered other interview questions that could be asked, and interview processes for different roles such as Data Scientist and Data Analyst.

Good luck with your interview!