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Software Engineer III

HNTB · Chicago, IL · $105,591–$165,155 a year · Full time

Posted Jun 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a complex software component you led from design through delivery. What were the hard decisions?

What they are checking: Whether they have led real technical work and can explain the tradeoffs behind their choices.

What development practices have you introduced to a team, and how did you get people to adopt them?

What they are checking: Whether they can improve how a team works through influence, not authority.

Tell me about a production problem you had to diagnose. How did you find the root cause?

What they are checking: Whether they troubleshoot methodically under pressure and fix causes, not symptoms.

Where do you see yourself growing toward technical leadership, and what are you working on now to get there?

What they are checking: Whether they are actively building toward the senior responsibilities the role prepares them for.

What would you do

How do you help a client define a software solution strategy when they only know the business problem?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn vague business needs into a clear technical scope with the client.

How do you mentor a junior developer who keeps submitting code that works but is hard to maintain?

What they are checking: Whether they can give technical guidance that improves habits, a duty the posting names directly.

A stakeholder wants a feature added late in delivery that puts the deadline at risk. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can explain tradeoffs and negotiate scope instead of silently absorbing risk.

About the work

Walk me through an architectural decision you contributed to. What options did you weigh?

What they are checking: Whether they reason about architecture with clear criteria rather than personal preference.

How do you make sure the code your team ships performs well under real load?

What they are checking: Whether they build in performance testing and monitoring instead of discovering problems in production.

How do you estimate and scope a feature when requirements are still changing?

What they are checking: Whether they can manage scope and expectations honestly when the picture is incomplete.

How do you approach code reviews, both giving and receiving them?

What they are checking: Whether they use reviews to raise quality and share knowledge rather than gatekeep.

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The full job description

As published by HNTB.

What We're Looking For At HNTB, you can create a career that is meaningful to you while building communities that matter to all of us. For more than a century, we have been delivering solutions for some of the largest, most complex infrastructure projects across the country. With our historic growth, it is an exciting time to join our team of employee-owners. This opportunity entails being responsible for contributing to the design and development of innovative software solutions for complex business needs. You will work with clients and stakeholders to help define software solution strategy and contribute to architectural decisions using advanced technologies. In this role, you will be responsible for managing assigned tasks, contributing to the definition of scope and technical approach, and ensuring quality and performance in solution delivery. You will also provide technical guidance to junior team members and support the evolution of development practices, positioning yourself for future leadership in enterprise software solution initiatives. This role bridges individual contribution and technical leadership, preparing you for senior-level responsibilities by expanding your influence across projects and teams. What You'll Do: • Leads the development of complex software components and features. • Works with clients and stakeholders to help define software solution strategy and architecture. • Manages assigned tasks and contributes to defining scope, technical approach, and delivery plans. • Ensures code quality, performance, and security through reviews, testing, and optimization. • Provides technical guidance and mentorship to junior engineers. • Collaborates with cross-functional teams to integrate software into enterprise systems. • Supports the evolution of development practices and contributes to architectural decisions. • Participates in Agile planning, estimation, and retrospectives. • Performs other duties as assigned. What You'll Need: • Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field and 5 years of relevant experience, or • Master’s degree in computer science or related field and 4 years of relevant experience, or • In lieu of education, 9 years of relevant experience. What You'll Bring: • Strong knowledge of software architecture and design patterns. • Experience with CI/CD, cloud platforms, and container orchestration. • Advanced proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks. • Ability to lead technical discussions and mentor others. What We Prefer: • Experience designing solutions using various cloud platforms including AWS and MS Azure. • Building Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow the backend to communicate seamlessly with the front end (what the user sees) and third-party services. • Performance & Scalability: Optimizing the server and database architecture to ensure the app runs fast, even during sudden spikes in traffic • Languages & Frameworks: Python, C#, JavaScript/Node.js • Databases : Experience with one or more databases such as (PostgreSQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, Redis, Oracle, NoSQL) • Experience developing and maintaining public-facing SaaS applications supporting stakeholder engagement and data collection • Experience in integrating third-party services and APIs (e.g., communication tools, data systems, GIS, outreach platforms) • Experience implementing secure application design practices, including: • PII data protection (masking, validation, controlled access) • Role-based access control and identity management • Familiarity with public-sector compliance frameworks (NIST, SOC, ISO) • Understanding of SSO integrations (SAML, identity providers like Entra ID) • Strong experience building and supporting cloud-native applications on AWS (multi-region architectures where applicable) • Proficiency in AWS services such as: • Compute (EC2, Lambda, container services ECS) • Storage (S3, EBS) • Databases (RDS, DynamoDB) • Networking (VPC, subnets, security groups) • Deep understanding of the AWS Shared Responsibility Model and secure cloud design • Strong understanding of the web development lifecycle and programming techniques and tools. • Excellent project and time management skills. • Collaborating with the front-end developers and other team members to establish objectives and design more functional, cohesive codes to enhance the user experience. • Knowledge or Experience implementing: • Authentication (login), Authorization (permissions), Encryption, and Data Protection Protocols • Identity and Access Management (IAM) • Encryption (KMS, TLS in transit, encryption at rest) • Logging and monitoring (CloudTrail, CloudWatch, Security Hub) • Familiarity with cloud compliance and audit readiness (SOC 2, NIST controls) • Understanding in Oauth, OpenID, Microsoft Identity, OpenIddict, or other security frameworks Additional Information Click here for benefits information: HNTB Total Rewards Click here to learn more about Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. #RN . Locations: Chicago, IL, Kansas City, MO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The approximate pay range for Illinois is $105,590.66 - $165,154.61. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state. . . The approximate nation wide pay range for this position is $95,991.51 - $187,675.71. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location. . NOTICE TO THIRD-PARTY AGENCIES: HNTB does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or agencies. Any staffing/employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume to this site does so with the understanding that the applicant's resume will become the property of HNTB. HNTB will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion and without any fee owed to the submitting staffing/employment agency, person or entity. Staffing/employment agencies who have fee agreements with HNTB must submit applicants to the designated HNTB recruiter to be eligible for placement fees.

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