Okay, I've searched for Lead Software Engineer roles in Chicago, IL requiring expertise in C/C++, 10+ years of experience, full-time jobs, and a Bachelor's degree. I have found 73 positions for you.

Sure. Here's the analysis:

Job Analysis:

This Lead Software Engineer role is fundamentally about steering the development and continuous improvement of a high-performance, distributed online video advertisement server system—a critical backbone for FreeWheel's advertising platform. The candidate is expected to bridge the gap between product vision and technical execution by closely partnering with product managers and engineering peers to translate business needs into robust, scalable software solutions. Success here depends not only on deep technical proficiency in C/C++, distributed systems, and network programming, but also on leadership capabilities such as mentoring junior engineers, guiding design discussions, and ensuring quality delivery under agile methodologies. The role requires navigating complex technical challenges like systems scalability, high availability, and reliability while delivering on tight schedules that sync with global teams, often requiring flexibility in work hours. The candidate will also play a key role in defining architectural choices and liaising with external partners, implying a need for strong communication and stakeholder management skills. Given the product’s impact on customer ad experiences, success will be measured by stable, performant releases that align with business priorities and contribute to sustained operational excellence and innovation within FreeWheel's ad platform ecosystem.

Company Analysis:

FreeWheel, as a Comcast-owned company, occupies a leading position in the advertising technology space, leveraging premium content and extensive data to power ad transactions across diverse channels globally. This market leadership and scale add layers of complexity and opportunity for innovation within the role, as solutions must cater to massive, distributed user bases and integrate with a comprehensive ecosystem. The company culture, driven by Comcast’s operating principles, emphasizes customer-centricity, team collaboration, continuous learning, and inclusivity—traits that require the engineer to be adaptable, communicative, and proactive about cross-team engagement. The role's requirements to work closely with global teams and embrace flexible schedules reflect an environment that is fast-paced and dynamically evolving, demanding resilience and a strong commitment to delivering quality under pressure. Organizationally, this role sits at the heart of the core engineering group, likely a senior individual contributor or technical lead, with visibility to both product leadership and external vendors, shaping critical architectural directions. Strategically, the hire is pivotal for driving growth and operational robustness in FreeWheel’s ad serving platform, supporting Comcast’s broader expansion in the digital advertising marketplace and maintaining competitiveness through cutting-edge technical solutions.

Absolutely. Here are some mock interview questions that could come up:

• Behavioral: Tell me about a time when you had to lead a critical software project under tight deadlines and how you managed stakeholder expectations.
• Behavioral: Describe an instance where you mentored junior engineers through a complex technical challenge. What approach did you take to ensure their growth and project success?
• Behavioral: Can you share an experience where you had to collaborate with cross-functional global teams? How did you handle communication and coordination across time zones?
• Behavioral: How do you stay current with new technologies and industry trends? Can you provide an example of how you applied a new technique or tool to improve a project?
• Technical: How would you design and implement a highly available, distributed ad server to handle large-scale video traffic with low latency?
• Technical: What strategies and tools do you use for debugging and resolving performance bottlenecks in C/C++ applications?
• Technical: Explain your experience with database design in the context of real-time ad serving systems. How do you ensure both speed and reliability?
• Technical: Describe your familiarity with Agile methodologies and how you have integrated SDLC best practices in your previous software projects.
• Situational: Imagine you discover a critical production issue late at night that affects ad delivery globally. Walk me through your response process.
• Situational: How would you handle conflicting priorities between product management’s feature requests and engineering constraints?
• Situational: Suppose a junior developer on your team proposes a solution that you believe is technically unsound. How would you address this while maintaining team morale?
• Company Fit: Why are you interested in working for FreeWheel and Comcast specifically, especially in the ad technology space?
• Company Fit: How do you see your personal values aligning with Comcast’s operating principles, particularly regarding customer experience and teamwork?
• Company Fit: What excites you most about contributing to a global, distributed ad-serving platform, and how do you envision your impact?
• Questions for Interviewer: Can you describe the current biggest technical challenges the Core Engineering team is facing? How does this role contribute to addressing them?
• Questions for Interviewer: How does FreeWheel support continuous learning and professional growth within the engineering teams?
• Questions for Interviewer: What does success look like for this role in the first 6 to 12 months, and how is that measured?