Ultra Intelligence & Communications (I&C) is at the forefront of developing crucial defense technologies in tactical communications, military command, control & intelligence, and cybersecurity. At Ultra I&C, our people are our most valuable asset, driving innovation and ensuring mission success. If you seek both personal and professional growth, consider a career with Ultra I&C.

The Cyber business unit in our Tampa, FL location is currently looking for a full-time Software Engineer II. In this role, you will be pivotal in the software architecture and development of embedded solutions for security-critical platforms. Expected duties range from designing embedded systems and implementing High Assurance Internet Protocols to supporting Agile and Waterfall development methodologies. Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor's degree in computer science or related fields, possess experience in ANSI C, and maintain a current US government Secret Security Clearance.

Explore this comprehensive guide by Interview Query to navigate the interview process, understand the role better, and enhance your preparation.

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Ultra Electronics as a Software Engineer. Whether you were contacted by a recruiter or took the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to 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. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Ultra Electronics 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 Ultra Electronics Software Engineering 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 Ultra Electronics 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 Ultra Electronics' defense technologies, embedded systems, and ANSI C programming.

Depending on the seniority of the position, take-home assignments regarding embedded algorithms, integration with government systems, and software testing may also be incorporated. Apart from these, your proficiency against coding standards, system design, and essential software engineering principles may also be assessed during the round.

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 Ultra Electronics office. Your technical prowess, including programming and systems integration capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also await you during the onsite interview for the Software Engineer role at Ultra Electronics.

Quick Tips For Ultra Electronics Software Engineer Interviews

• Brush Up on ANSI C and Embedded Systems: Ultra Electronics places significant emphasis on ANSI C programming and embedded systems. Make sure you're comfortable with these topics as you may be tasked with coding challenges and technical questions related to them.
• Understand Defense and Secure Communications: Given the nature of Ultra Electronics' business, familiarity with defense protocols, secure communications, and high-assurance Internet Protocol specifications will be incredibly beneficial.
• Demonstrate Your Problem-Solving Skills: Ultra Electronics values strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Be prepared to showcase how your skills have successfully addressed complex engineering problems in past projects.

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

• Identify all duplicate values in a list of integers. Given a list of integers, identify all the duplicate values in the list. Assume that the list can contain both positive and negative numbers, and the order of the list does not matter. A number is considered a duplicate if it appears more than once in the list. Return a list of the duplicate numbers.

• Select the five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio. Write a query to account for duplicate rows in the employee_projects table and select the top five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio.

• Create a subquery or common table expression to find the top 3 ads and return join results. Create a subquery or common table expression named top_ads containing the top 3 ads by popularity and return the number of rows resulting from different join operations with the ads table.

• Find employees who joined before their manager. Given two tables, employees and managers, find the names of all employees who joined before their manager.

• Write a function to rotate a matrix by 90 degrees clockwise. Given an array filled with random values, write a function rotate_matrix to rotate the array by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction.

• How do we select the best 10,000 customers for a pre-launch on Amazon Prime Video? Amazon Prime Video is about to launch a new show and wants to test it on 10,000 customers first. How would you go about selecting the best 10,000 customers for the pre-launch?

• What is the process for pre-launching a TV show on Amazon Prime to measure performance? Describe the steps involved in pre-launching a TV show on Amazon Prime Video to measure its performance.

• How would you evaluate the results of an A/B test on an eCommerce checkout page? You ran an A/B test on an eCommerce checkout page to see if surfacing free shipping increases conversions. The control group had no free shipping specification, while the experiment group did. How would you evaluate the results and determine if the test was successful?

• How would you conduct an experiment to test displaying ETA as a range on Uber? A PM at Uber is considering displaying ETA as a range (e.g., 3-7 minutes) instead of a direct estimate. How would you conduct this experiment and determine if the results are significant?

• How would you decide whether Google should build a game feature for Google Home? Your co-worker suggests building a game feature for Google Home. How would you go about deciding whether Google should build it?

• How would you measure the effectiveness of extra pay for delivery drivers during peak hours? You work at a food delivery company and need to measure the effectiveness of giving extra pay to delivery drivers during peak hours to meet consumer demand. How would you do this?

• What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression? When would you use one instead of the other? Explain the key differences between Logistic and Linear Regression. Describe scenarios where each method is more appropriate to use in practice.

• 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. Use relatable examples to illustrate its significance in hypothesis testing.

• What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression? When would you use one instead of the other in practice? Describe the key differences between Logistic and Linear Regression. Provide practical scenarios where each type of regression would be appropriately applied.

What is the average salary for a Software Engineer at Ultra Electronics?

Q: What does Ultra Intelligence & Communications specialize in? Ultra Intelligence & Communications (I&C) is an expert in developing critical defense technologies for tactical communications, military command, control & intelligence, and cybersecurity. Our mission is to ensure the safety of people, platforms, and critical infrastructure.

Q: What are the primary responsibilities of a Software Engineer II at Ultra I&C? As a Software Engineer II, you will be instrumental in the software architecture and development of embedded solutions for security-critical platforms. Responsibilities include technical design, embedded algorithm implementation, product integration with government systems, software requirements derivation, and verification/validation support.

Q: What skills are required for the Software Engineer II position? Candidates must hold an active US government Secret Security Clearance or have had one within the last 24 months. A Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering, or a related field is required. Candidates should have 3+ years of experience in software development, coding in ANSI C, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Q: What benefits does Ultra I&C offer? Ultra I&C offers comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, health savings accounts, paid time off, and a 401(k) plan with a company match. We also support professional development and offer student loan payment assistance.

Q: How can I prepare for an interview at Ultra I&C? To prepare for an interview, you should research the company and the position, review common interview questions specific to the role, and brush up on your technical skills. Utilize Interview Query for practicing coding and technical questions to ensure you're well-prepared.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Ultra Electronics Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Ultra I&C’s interview process for different positions. 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 Ultra I&C software engineer interview question and challenges.

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!