Bigbear.ai Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Bigbear.ai is a leading provider of AI-powered decision intelligence solutions, specializing in national security, supply chain management, and digital identity.

As a Software Engineer at Bigbear.ai, you will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and enhancing complex software systems that demand high levels of analytical processing, algorithm development, and real-time data management. Your role will involve analyzing user requirements to derive software specifications, debugging existing software, and providing recommendations for process improvements. You will work both independently and collaboratively, engaging in code design, testing, and integration of software components while ensuring adherence to established design methodologies. Strong familiarity with various programming languages such as Python, C++, and Java is essential, alongside experience with DevOps practices and CI/CD tools. A passion for technology and a commitment to continual learning align closely with the company's values of innovation and excellence.

This guide will help you prepare for your interview by providing insights into the expectations for the role and the skills you need to showcase during the process.

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Bigbear.ai is structured to assess both technical skills and cultural fit within the team. It typically consists of several key stages:

1. Initial Screening

The process begins with an initial screening, which is usually a phone interview with a recruiter. This conversation lasts about 30 minutes and focuses on your background, experience, and motivation for applying to Bigbear.ai. The recruiter may also ask some general technical questions to gauge your foundational knowledge in software engineering.

2. Technical Screening

Following the initial screening, candidates typically undergo a technical screening. This may involve a video call with a senior software engineer where you will be asked to solve coding problems, often using platforms like LeetCode. Expect questions that assess your understanding of object-oriented design, microservices, and algorithms. You may also be asked to discuss your previous projects and how you approached problem-solving in those scenarios.

3. Onsite Interview

The final stage is the onsite interview, which can be a full-day event. This includes multiple rounds of interviews with various team members. Each round will focus on different aspects of software engineering, such as system design, debugging, and performance optimization. You may also be asked to demonstrate your coding skills in real-time, as well as answer behavioral questions that explore your teamwork and communication abilities. The onsite interview is an opportunity for you to showcase your technical expertise and how you would fit into the company culture.

As you prepare for your interview, consider the specific skills and experiences that will be relevant to the questions you may encounter.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Role and Team Dynamics

Before your interview, take the time to familiarize yourself with the specific responsibilities of a Software Engineer at Bigbear.ai. This role involves developing and enhancing complex software systems, so be prepared to discuss your experience with processing-intensive analytics and algorithm development. Additionally, understanding the team dynamics and how your role fits into the larger project will help you articulate your potential contributions effectively.

Prepare for Technical Questions

Given the emphasis on algorithms and software design methodologies, you should be ready to tackle technical questions that assess your problem-solving skills. Brush up on your knowledge of object-oriented design, microservices, and algorithm development. Practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on data structures and algorithms, as these are likely to be a significant part of the technical screening process.

Showcase Your Collaborative Spirit

Bigbear.ai values teamwork and collaboration, as indicated by the welcoming nature of the interview process. Be prepared to discuss your experiences working in cross-functional teams and how you’ve contributed to collective goals. Highlight instances where you’ve effectively communicated with stakeholders or resolved conflicts within a team setting.

Emphasize Your Adaptability

The role may require you to work with various technologies and methodologies, including DevOps practices and CI/CD pipelines. Be ready to discuss your experience with different programming languages (like Python, C++, or Java) and tools (such as Docker, Jenkins, or Terraform). Show that you are adaptable and eager to learn new technologies, as this aligns with the company’s culture of continuous improvement.

Prepare for Behavioral Questions

Expect behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving abilities and how you handle challenges. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses. For example, discuss a time when you faced a significant software bug and how you approached debugging it, emphasizing your analytical skills and persistence.

Be Ready to Discuss Security Clearance

Since the role requires a TS/SCI clearance, be prepared to discuss your eligibility and any relevant experience you have in secure environments. This is particularly important for roles related to national security, so demonstrating your understanding of the implications of working in such settings can set you apart.

Show Enthusiasm for Learning

Bigbear.ai appreciates candidates who have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to learn. During your interview, express your enthusiasm for the field of software engineering and your commitment to professional development. Discuss any recent projects, courses, or technologies you’ve explored to stay current in the industry.

Follow Up Thoughtfully

After your interview, send a thoughtful thank-you note to your interviewers. Mention specific topics discussed during the interview that resonated with you, reinforcing your interest in the role and the company. This not only shows your appreciation but also keeps you top of mind as they make their decision.

By following these tips, you can present yourself as a well-rounded candidate who is not only technically proficient but also a great cultural fit for Bigbear.ai. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Software Engineer interview at Bigbear.ai. The interview process will likely focus on your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and experience with software development methodologies. Be prepared to discuss your past projects, your approach to coding challenges, and your understanding of system design principles.

Technical Skills

1. Can you explain the principles of object-oriented programming and how you have applied them in your projects?

Understanding object-oriented programming (OOP) is crucial for a software engineer. They will want to see how you can apply these principles in real-world scenarios.

How to Answer

Discuss the four main principles of OOP: encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. Provide examples from your experience where you utilized these principles to solve problems or improve code maintainability.

Example

“In my last project, I used encapsulation to hide the internal state of objects and expose only necessary methods. This not only improved security but also made the code easier to maintain. For instance, I created a class for user authentication that encapsulated the login logic, allowing other parts of the application to interact with it without needing to know the underlying implementation.”

2. Describe a challenging bug you encountered in your code and how you resolved it.

This question assesses your debugging skills and problem-solving approach.

How to Answer

Outline the steps you took to identify the bug, the tools you used, and how you ultimately resolved the issue. Highlight your analytical skills and persistence.

Example

“I once faced a memory leak issue in a Java application. I used profiling tools to monitor memory usage and identified that certain objects were not being garbage collected. After analyzing the code, I found that I had inadvertently created circular references. I refactored the code to eliminate these references, which resolved the issue and improved the application’s performance.”

3. How do you approach designing a new software system?

This question evaluates your system design skills and understanding of software architecture.

How to Answer

Discuss your process for gathering requirements, considering scalability, and choosing appropriate technologies. Mention any design patterns you prefer.

Example

“When designing a new system, I start by gathering requirements from stakeholders to understand their needs. I then create a high-level architecture diagram, considering scalability and performance. I often use design patterns like MVC for web applications to separate concerns, which makes the system easier to maintain and extend.”

4. What is your experience with microservices architecture?

Microservices are increasingly popular, and understanding them is essential for modern software development.

How to Answer

Share your experience with microservices, including any specific projects where you implemented this architecture. Discuss the benefits and challenges you faced.

Example

“I worked on a project where we transitioned from a monolithic architecture to microservices. This allowed us to deploy services independently, which improved our deployment speed. However, it also introduced challenges in managing inter-service communication and data consistency, which we addressed by implementing API gateways and using event-driven architecture.”

5. Can you explain the concept of Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) and its importance?

CI/CD is a critical practice in modern software development, and understanding it is vital.

How to Answer

Define CI/CD and explain its benefits, such as faster release cycles and improved code quality. Mention any tools you have used.

Example

“CI/CD is a set of practices that enable development teams to deliver code changes more frequently and reliably. By using tools like Jenkins and GitLab CI, we automate the testing and deployment processes, which reduces the risk of errors and allows us to release features faster. This practice has significantly improved our team’s efficiency and responsiveness to user feedback.”

Algorithms and Data Structures

1. How would you approach solving a problem using algorithms?

This question tests your algorithmic thinking and problem-solving skills.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to breaking down problems, selecting appropriate algorithms, and optimizing solutions.

Example

“When faced with a problem, I first break it down into smaller components. I then analyze the requirements to determine which algorithm fits best, whether it’s a sorting algorithm or a search algorithm. For instance, in a recent project, I used a binary search algorithm to efficiently find elements in a sorted array, which significantly reduced the time complexity from O(n) to O(log n).”

2. Can you implement a function to reverse a linked list?

This question assesses your understanding of data structures and coding skills.

How to Answer

Explain your thought process before coding. Discuss the time and space complexity of your solution.

Example

“To reverse a linked list, I would use an iterative approach to traverse the list while changing the pointers. This method has a time complexity of O(n) and a space complexity of O(1). Here’s a brief outline of the code: I would maintain three pointers: previous, current, and next, updating them as I traverse the list.”

3. What is the difference between a stack and a queue?

Understanding basic data structures is fundamental for any software engineer.

How to Answer

Define both data structures and explain their use cases.

Example

“A stack is a Last In First Out (LIFO) structure, where the last element added is the first to be removed. It’s commonly used in function call management. A queue, on the other hand, is a First In First Out (FIFO) structure, where the first element added is the first to be removed. Queues are often used in scheduling tasks or managing requests in a system.”

4. How do you optimize a database query?

This question evaluates your understanding of databases and performance optimization.

How to Answer

Discuss techniques such as indexing, query restructuring, and analyzing execution plans.

Example

“To optimize a database query, I would first analyze the execution plan to identify bottlenecks. I often use indexing on columns that are frequently queried to speed up retrieval times. Additionally, I would restructure complex queries to reduce the number of joins, which can significantly improve performance.”

5. Can you explain the concept of Big O notation?

Understanding algorithm efficiency is crucial for software engineers.

How to Answer

Define Big O notation and provide examples of common complexities.

Example

“Big O notation is a mathematical representation of the time complexity of an algorithm, describing its performance in relation to the input size. For example, an algorithm with O(n) complexity means its execution time grows linearly with the input size, while O(n^2) indicates a quadratic growth, which can become inefficient with larger datasets.”