What is a Software Engineer at Arthur J. Gallagher &?

As a Software Engineer at Arthur J. Gallagher &, you are stepping into a pivotal role at the intersection of global insurance brokerage, risk management, and cutting-edge technology. The software and infrastructure you build directly empower our consultants, brokers, and clients to navigate complex risks and make data-driven decisions. Your work ensures that our digital platforms remain secure, highly available, and capable of scaling alongside our rapidly growing global footprint.

This role is not just about writing code; it is about modernizing legacy systems, driving cloud transformation, and building resilient architectures. Whether you are embedded in a CloudOps team optimizing our Azure or AWS environments, or leading a .NET development squad to launch a new client-facing portal, your technical decisions carry significant weight. You will tackle complex problems related to data security, high-volume transaction processing, and seamless user experiences.

Expect a dynamic environment where technical rigor meets business pragmatism. You will collaborate closely with product managers, architecture teams, and business stakeholders to translate complex insurance and accounting requirements into elegant technical solutions. If you thrive in an environment that values stability, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration, you will find this role both deeply challenging and highly rewarding.

Common Interview Questions

The questions below represent the types of inquiries you are likely to encounter during your interviews at Arthur J. Gallagher &. While you should not memorize answers, use these to understand the patterns of what we value and how we assess technical and behavioral competencies.

HR and Behavioral Screen

These questions are designed to assess your communication skills, career motivations, and baseline alignment with the role.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What do you know about Gallagher, and why are you interested in joining the company?
• Walk me through your CV/resume.
• How does your experience relate to our company and this specific role?
• What are your current salary expectations?
• Do you have any questions for us about the team or the company?

Technical and Fundamentals

These questions test your core engineering knowledge, often focusing on OOP, databases, and general problem-solving.

• Explain the four pillars of Object-Oriented Programming and provide an example of how you have used them.
• How do you optimize a slow-running SQL query?
• Describe the difference between a clustered and a non-clustered index.
• Walk me through the lifecycle of a web request from the browser to the database and back.
• How do you ensure your code is secure and resilient against common vulnerabilities?

Project and Architecture Deep Dive

Usually asked in the final rounds, these questions evaluate your practical experience, system design skills, and ability to articulate technical decisions.

• Walk me through the architecture of the most complex system you have built. What were the trade-offs?
• Tell me about a time you had to advocate for paying down technical debt rather than building new features.
• How do you handle deployments and rollback strategies in a cloud environment?
• Describe a situation where you had to troubleshoot a critical production outage. What was your process?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

To succeed in our interview process, you need to approach your preparation strategically. We evaluate candidates holistically, looking for a blend of technical depth, problem-solving agility, and cultural alignment.

Technical Fundamentals & Cloud Proficiency – You must demonstrate a strong command of core programming concepts, database management, and modern cloud infrastructure. Interviewers will assess your ability to write clean code, design scalable systems, and navigate cloud environments, particularly if you are interviewing for a CloudOps or Cloud Engineer specific track.

Problem-Solving & Aptitude – We look for engineers who can think critically under pressure. Depending on your region, you may face structured aptitude assessments covering logical reasoning, mathematics, and data interpretation. We want to see how you break down complex, ambiguous problems into manageable, logical steps.

Domain Adaptability – While you do not need to be an insurance expert, you must show a willingness to learn the business context. We evaluate your ability to grasp basic accounting, risk, and insurance concepts, as these are the foundational elements of the products you will be building.

Communication & Culture Fit – Software engineering at Arthur J. Gallagher & is a highly collaborative endeavor. We assess your ability to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, your receptiveness to feedback, and your capacity to engage in open, constructive dialogue during technical reviews.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Arthur J. Gallagher & typically spans two to four weeks, though timelines can vary based on team availability and region. Our goal is to assess your technical capabilities while giving you ample opportunity to evaluate our team culture and technical landscape. The process generally consists of three distinct stages: an initial recruiter screen, a technical or aptitude assessment, and a final round with the hiring manager and architecture team.

You can expect a process that balances formal assessments with conversational, relationship-building interviews. Some regions heavily utilize online or offline aptitude tests covering technical and general reasoning, while others lean more toward behavioral and resume-based technical discussions. Regardless of the specific path, our interviewers prioritize candidates who are authentic, adaptable, and capable of discussing their past projects with clarity and depth.

This visual timeline outlines the standard progression from your initial application to the final offer stage. Use this to pace your preparation—focusing first on behavioral and core fundamental skills for the early screens, and reserving deep-dive system design and project architecture review for your final rounds with the engineering leadership. Keep in mind that background checks are a mandatory part of our onboarding process due to the sensitive nature of the financial and insurance data we handle.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To excel in your interviews, you must be prepared to navigate several key evaluation areas. Our engineering teams look for well-rounded candidates who can handle both the theoretical and practical demands of the job.

Core Programming and Database Management

A strong foundation in programming and data management is non-negotiable. We evaluate your understanding of Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles, data structures, and relational databases. Strong performance here means writing efficient, bug-free code and explaining the "why" behind your technical choices.

Be ready to go over:

• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – Deep understanding of inheritance, polymorphism, encapsulation, and abstraction, often assessed through practical scenarios.
• SQL and Database Design – Writing complex queries, understanding joins, indexing, and basic database normalization.
• Framework Proficiency – Depending on the team, deep knowledge of specific ecosystems like .NET/C# or modern JavaScript frameworks.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Query optimization techniques, handling database deadlocks, and ORM performance tuning.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would design the database schema for a policy management system."
• "Explain the difference between an abstract class and an interface, and when you would use each in a real-world application."
• "Write a SQL query to retrieve the top five highest-paying policies from a given dataset."

Cloud Operations and Architecture

For roles such as Cloud Engineer or Software Engineer - CloudOps, your ability to design, deploy, and maintain cloud infrastructure is heavily scrutinized. We want to see that you understand how to build systems that are scalable, secure, and cost-effective.

Be ready to go over:

• Cloud Infrastructure – Experience with AWS or Azure, including compute, storage, and networking services.
• CI/CD and Automation – Understanding deployment pipelines, infrastructure as code (Terraform, ARM templates), and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• System Design – Designing microservices architectures and understanding trade-offs between monolithic and distributed systems.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Multi-region disaster recovery planning, cloud cost optimization strategies, and advanced network security groups.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you architect a highly available web application on Azure/AWS?"
• "Describe a time you had to troubleshoot a failing deployment in your CI/CD pipeline."
• "What strategies would you use to monitor and alert on the health of a distributed microservices application?"

General Aptitude and Analytical Reasoning

In certain regions, particularly for early-to-mid-level roles, you will face a structured aptitude test. This assesses your baseline cognitive abilities, logical reasoning, and basic domain awareness. Strong performance means moving quickly and accurately through a high volume of questions.

Be ready to go over:

• Quantitative Aptitude – Basic mathematics, percentages, ratios, and data interpretation.
• Logical Reasoning – Pattern recognition, deductive logic, and sequencing.
• Domain Basics – High-level understanding of basic accounting principles or insurance terminology (often included as a minor section).

Behavioral and Project Experience

We place a high premium on how you work with others and how you have delivered value in the past. Interviewers will probe your resume to understand your specific contributions to past projects. Strong candidates treat this as a collaborative conversation, openly discussing both successes and failures.

Be ready to go over:

• Project Deep Dives – Explaining the architecture, your specific role, and the business impact of a recent project.
• Motivation and Alignment – Why you are interested in Arthur J. Gallagher & and how your career goals align with our mission.
• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements on technical direction or manage tight deadlines with product teams.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to pivot your technical approach midway through a project."
• "Walk me through your resume and highlight a project where you had to learn a new technology on the fly."
• "How does your previous experience relate to the day-to-day responsibilities of this role?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Software Engineer at Arthur J. Gallagher &, your day-to-day work will be a mix of focused technical execution and cross-functional collaboration. You will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software solutions that support our global brokerage operations. This involves writing clean, testable code, participating in rigorous code reviews, and ensuring that your applications meet our strict security and compliance standards.

You will frequently collaborate with CloudOps, architecture, and product teams to translate business requirements into technical deliverables. If you are in a cloud-focused role, your days will also include managing infrastructure, optimizing CI/CD pipelines, and monitoring system health to ensure high availability. You will act as a technical problem-solver, stepping in to troubleshoot complex production issues and proactively identifying areas where we can reduce technical debt or improve system performance.

Beyond coding, you will be expected to contribute to the engineering culture. This means mentoring junior engineers, documenting system architectures, and actively participating in agile ceremonies like sprint planning and retrospectives. You will play a crucial role in driving our digital transformation initiatives, helping to migrate legacy systems to modern, cloud-native architectures.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To thrive in this role, you need a solid mix of technical expertise and interpersonal skills. We look for engineers who are not just coders, but true technical partners to the business.

• Must-have skills – Proficiency in at least one major object-oriented programming language (such as C#/.NET or Java). Strong command of SQL and relational database design. Solid understanding of cloud computing principles (AWS or Azure). Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with global teams.
• Experience level – Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field, along with 3+ years of professional software engineering experience. For lead or specialized roles (like Cloud Engineer), 5-7+ years of experience and proven architectural capabilities are expected.
• Soft skills – High adaptability, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to navigate ambiguity. You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and capable of managing your time effectively across multiple competing priorities.
• Nice-to-have skills – Prior experience in the insurance, financial services, or risk management sectors. Familiarity with DevOps practices, infrastructure as code, and modern frontend frameworks (like React or Angular).

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The end-to-end process usually takes between two to four weeks. However, depending on the region, team availability, and internal budget approvals, it can occasionally take longer. We recommend staying in proactive communication with your recruiter.

Q: Are the technical interviews live-coding or conversational? This depends heavily on the specific team and region. Many candidates report that the final technical and architecture rounds are highly conversational, focusing on your resume and past projects rather than high-pressure whiteboard coding. However, you should still be prepared to discuss code architecture and SQL queries in detail.

Q: Is there an aptitude test for all Software Engineering roles? Not always. Aptitude tests (covering math, logical reasoning, and domain basics) are very common in certain regions (like India) and for early-to-mid-level roles. Senior roles in the US or UK typically bypass this in favor of deeper architectural and behavioral interviews.

Q: What is the culture like within the engineering teams? Candidates frequently describe our engineering teams as welcoming, disarming, and highly collaborative. We value open dialogue and look for engineers who are comfortable treating interviews as a two-way conversation rather than an interrogation.

Q: Will there be a background check? Yes. Because we operate in the insurance and financial risk sector, a comprehensive background check is a standard and mandatory part of the offer process.

Other General Tips

• Be proactive with scheduling: Administrative hiccups can occasionally happen during the recruiting process. If a link doesn't work or a meeting is missed, remain professional and politely follow up with your recruiter. Persistence and clear communication stand out.
• Brush up on your fundamentals: If your process includes the 40-question aptitude test, review basic mathematics, logical reasoning, and SQL syntax. Since there are no negative marks, practice pacing yourself to ensure you answer every question.
• Connect your work to the business: Arthur J. Gallagher & is a business-driven organization. When discussing past projects, always highlight the business impact—how your code saved money, improved security, or enhanced the user experience.
• Treat the final round as a team fit: The final interview with the hiring manager and architecture team is often described as very comfortable and conversational. Use this time to show your personality, ask thoughtful questions about their tech stack, and demonstrate how you would be a great colleague day-to-day.

Summary & Next Steps

Joining Arthur J. Gallagher & as a Software Engineer is an opportunity to build robust, scalable systems that underpin a global leader in risk management and insurance. The work here is complex, highly impactful, and critical to our ongoing digital transformation. By preparing thoroughly for both the technical fundamentals and the conversational behavioral rounds, you will position yourself as a strong, adaptable candidate ready to take on these challenges.

Focus your preparation on clearly articulating your past project experiences, brushing up on core OOP and Cloud principles, and demonstrating a genuine enthusiasm for our industry. Remember that our interviewers are looking for a collaborative partner—someone who is just as comfortable discussing database indexing as they are talking through business requirements with a product manager. Approach each conversation with confidence and curiosity.

The compensation data above reflects the typical ranges for software and cloud engineering roles across our US locations. Offers are commensurate with experience, location, and the specific technical demands of the team (e.g., Cloud Engineer vs. standard Software Engineer). Use this data to inform your salary expectations during the initial recruiter screen.

You have the skills and the drive to succeed in this process. Take the time to review your foundational knowledge, practice your project narratives, and explore additional interview insights on Dataford. We look forward to seeing the unique technical perspective and problem-solving abilities you will bring to the team. Good luck!