1. What is a Software Engineer at Ramp?

At Ramp, the role of a Software Engineer is not simply about writing code; it is about architecting the financial infrastructure that powers modern businesses. Ramp is redefining corporate finance by combining corporate cards, expense management, bill payments, and accounting automation into a single, cohesive platform. As an engineer here, you are building the engines that save companies millions of dollars and countless hours of manual work.

You will work in a high-velocity environment where "slope"—the rate of your trajectory and improvement—is valued over pure tenure. Whether you are focused on Frontend (React, TypeScript), Backend (Python, Elixir, Postgres), or Infrastructure, your contributions directly impact the company's ability to process billions in transaction volume. You are expected to own your products from end-to-end, collaborating closely with product managers and designers to ship features that are not only functional but also intuitive and incredibly fast.

This role requires a blend of engineering rigor and product pragmatism. You will tackle complex challenges such as real-time fraud detection, automated accounting integrations, and high-frequency transaction processing. The work you do here is mission-critical; you are building the financial nervous system for thousands of businesses, from startups to large enterprises.

2. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation for Ramp is distinct from many other tech companies. While fundamental computer science concepts are necessary, Ramp prioritizes practical application over theoretical memorization. You should shift your mindset from "solving a puzzle on a whiteboard" to "building a working feature in an IDE."

Key Evaluation Criteria:

Practical Engineering Ability – 2–3 sentences describing: This is the cornerstone of Ramp’s assessment. Interviewers evaluate your ability to write clean, maintainable, and working code in a realistic environment. You will be tested on your ability to manipulate data, interact with APIs, and structure object-oriented systems rather than balancing binary trees.

Problem Solving & Pragmatism – 2–3 sentences describing: Ramp looks for engineers who can make smart trade-offs between speed and perfection. You need to demonstrate that you can break down ambiguous requirements into actionable technical steps and deliver a solution that works within time constraints.

System Design & Architecture – 2–3 sentences describing: For mid-level and senior roles, you must demonstrate an ability to design scalable, reliable systems. You will be evaluated on your understanding of database schema design, API consistency, and how to handle data consistency—a critical requirement in fintech.

Communication & Collaboration – 2–3 sentences describing: Ramp uses pair-programming interviews to simulate actual work. Interviewers assess how well you articulate your thought process, how you incorporate feedback in real-time, and whether you are a collaborative partner in solving the problem.

3. Interview Process Overview

The interview process at Ramp is designed to filter for practical skills and engineering curiosity early on. It is known for being unique, often starting with a "Capture The Flag" (CTF) style challenge or a practical coding assessment rather than a standard algorithmic screen. Candidates should expect a process that moves quickly but is rigorous in its demands for code quality and correctness.

Typically, the process begins with an asynchronous Online Assessment (OA) or a "Puzzle" challenge sent via email. This is often a multi-step problem involving decoding, API interaction, or file system manipulation. If you pass this stage, you will move to a recruiter screen, followed by a live technical phone screen involving pair programming. The final stage is a virtual onsite loop comprising multiple technical rounds (coding and system design) and a behavioral interview with a hiring manager.

The timeline above illustrates the progression from the initial practical screen to the final rounds. Note that the initial assessment is a critical gatekeeper; successful candidates often report that speed and accuracy on the OA are vital. Use this visual to gauge where you need to conserve energy—the onsite is intensive, but the initial hurdles require sharp, immediate focus.

4. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Ramp’s technical rounds are distinct because they simulate the day-to-day work of an engineer. You are less likely to encounter abstract dynamic programming problems and more likely to face tasks involving data parsing, object-oriented design, and system architecture.

Practical Coding & Scripting (The "CTF" Style)

Ramp frequently utilizes a "Capture The Flag" or progressive coding challenge as a first step. This tests your ability to write scripts, handle data formats, and follow a trail of technical breadcrumbs.

Be ready to go over:

• HTTP & API Interaction – You may need to write scripts to fetch data from URLs, handle headers, or parse JSON responses.
• Data Parsing & Decoding – Expect tasks involving Base64 decoding, traversing HTML DOMs to find specific tags, or parsing complex text files.
• Recursion & Traversal – Problems often involve navigating file systems or nested data structures (e.g., "find all files with a specific extension in this directory tree").
• Advanced concepts – Web scraping basics, handling "hidden" data in HTML attributes, and string manipulation.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Decode a hidden URL from a string, fetch the content, and parse the HTML to find a specific key."
• "Navigate a virtual file system to calculate the total size of files matching a specific criteria."
• "Build a 'typewriter' effect in React that fetches text from an endpoint and renders it character by character."

Object-Oriented Design & Logic

In live coding sessions, you will often be asked to implement a class or a small system. This tests your ability to structure code logically and manage state.

Be ready to go over:

• Class Design – Creating classes with proper encapsulation, methods, and properties.
• Data Structures – Using HashMaps (Dictionaries) effectively for lookups and storage.
• Business Logic Implementation – Translating a set of rules (e.g., banking transactions, calendar scheduling) into working code.
• Edge Cases – Handling invalid inputs, time-to-live (TTL) expiration, or concurrent modifications.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Design an in-memory database with support for set, get, and delete operations, along with transactional support (commit/rollback)."
• "Implement a banking system class that handles account creation, deposits, withdrawals, and transfers between users."
• "Create a storage system where records expire after a certain time (TTL)."

System Design (Senior Roles)

For senior positions, you will face a dedicated system design round. Given Ramp's domain, consistency and reliability are paramount.

Be ready to go over:

• Database Schema Design – Choosing between SQL vs. NoSQL (Postgres is heavily used at Ramp) and modeling relationships.
• API Design – Designing RESTful or GraphQL endpoints that are clean and idempotent.
• Scalability & Reliability – Handling high throughput, ensuring zero data loss, and managing distributed transactions.
• Past Experience Deep Dive – Being able to explain the architecture of a system you previously built, including the "why" behind your technology choices.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Design a system to process corporate card transactions in real-time."
• "How would you architect a ledger system that ensures double-entry accounting consistency?"
• "Walk me through the architecture of the most complex system you have built. What would you change today?"

5. Key Responsibilities

As a Software Engineer at Ramp, your daily responsibilities revolve around shipping high-impact features that directly affect the user's financial workflow. You will be writing production code in Python (Backend) or React/TypeScript (Frontend), often deploying changes multiple times a day.

You will collaborate closely with product managers and designers to scope out features. Unlike roles where engineers purely execute specs, at Ramp, you are expected to understand the "business why." You will be responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of your code: from design and implementation to testing, deployment, and monitoring.

For those in Growth roles, you will focus on experimentation, sales enablement technology, and bridging the gap between data and actionable insights. Infrastructure engineers will focus on scalability, developer velocity, and security (including FedRAMP compliance for government projects). Regardless of the specific team, the common thread is ownership—you build it, you run it, and you ensure it scales.

6. Role Requirements & Qualifications

Candidates who succeed at Ramp typically combine strong technical fundamentals with a "builder" mindset.

Must-have skills:

• Proficiency in a modern language: Python is the primary backend language, but expertise in Java, C++, or Go is acceptable if you can learn fast. Frontend roles require deep knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript and React.
• Database experience: Strong grasp of SQL (PostgreSQL preferred) and data modeling.
• API Development: Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs.
• Testing mindset: Ability to write unit and integration tests as part of your development process.

Nice-to-have skills:

• Fintech domain knowledge: Understanding of payments, ledgers, or compliance (KYC/KYB).
• Specific Stack Experience: Familiarity with Flask, Elixir, Temporal, or AWS.
• High-growth startup experience: A track record of thriving in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.

7. Common Interview Questions

Ramp’s interview questions are practical and often build upon each other. Instead of isolated algorithmic puzzles, you might encounter a problem that starts simple and adds complexity (e.g., "Part 1: Build a storage class. Part 2: Add transaction support. Part 3: Add expiration.").

Practical Coding & Algorithms

This category covers the OA and live coding rounds.

• "Implement a simple in-memory file system with commands like mkdir, cd, and ls."
• "Write a function to decode a hidden message from a nested HTML structure."
• "Create a class that manages database records with a 'Time To Live' (TTL) feature."
• "Build a mechanism to efficiently query time-slots in a calendar application."
• "Implement a 'Connect 4' or 'Tic-Tac-Toe' game with specific win conditions."

Frontend Specific

• "Build a React component that fetches data from an API and renders it with a 'typewriter' animation effect."
• "Create a reusable data table component that supports sorting and filtering."
• "Debug a broken React application where state updates are not reflecting in the UI."

System Design

• "Design a URL shortener service."
• "Design a payment processing system that handles refunds and chargebacks."
• "How would you design a notification system that sends emails and SMS at scale?"

Behavioral & Culture

• "Tell me about a time you had to make a technical trade-off to meet a deadline."
• "Describe a complex system you built. What were the hardest challenges?"
• "Why do you want to work in the financial technology space?"
• "How do you approach learning a new technology stack quickly?"

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the coding interview LeetCode-style? Not exactly. While you need algorithmic knowledge (HashMaps, DFS/BFS), Ramp prefers "practical" coding. You are more likely to be asked to build a class or parse data than to invert a binary tree. The questions often feel like mini-projects.

Q: What is the "Capture The Flag" (CTF) challenge? Ramp often sends a unique challenge as part of the application or initial screen. This might involve decoding a URL, finding hidden text in HTML, or solving a logic puzzle. It tests curiosity and scripting skills.

Q: Can I use my own IDE? Yes, for many rounds, specifically the take-home or certain live screens, you are encouraged to use your own environment. Comfort with your tools is expected.

Q: How long does the process take? Ramp moves fast ("slope"). If you perform well on the OA, you can expect to hear back quickly. However, the initial OA has a strict deadline (often 48-72 hours), so only apply when you have time to commit.

Q: Is this role remote? Ramp has a strong office culture in New York City and recently San Francisco, but they also hire for remote roles depending on the specific team and seniority. Check the specific job listing for location requirements.

9. Other General Tips

Code for Production, Not Just Passing Tests: In your live coding rounds, do not just hack together a solution. Interviewers look for clean variable names, modular functions, and proper error handling. Treat the interview code as if you were about to commit it to the Ramp codebase.

Master Your Debugging Tools: Since the interviews are practical, you may encounter bugs. Being able to quickly debug, read stack traces, and fix issues without panicking is a huge signal of seniority.

Communicate While You Code: During the pair programming sessions, silence is a red flag. Talk through your design decisions. If you are choosing a HashMap over a List, explain why (time complexity vs. space complexity).

Understand the Business Model: Ramp is a product-led company. Understanding how corporate cards, bill pay, and interchange fees work will help you in the system design and behavioral rounds. It shows you care about the product, not just the code.

10. Summary & Next Steps

Ramp offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of high-scale engineering and financial operations. The role of a Software Engineer here is demanding but highly rewarding for those who enjoy autonomy and seeing the immediate impact of their work. By preparing for practical coding challenges, focusing on object-oriented design, and demonstrating a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, you can position yourself as a strong candidate.

To succeed, focus your preparation on building rather than just solving. Practice writing scripts that interact with the web, designing classes that manage state logic, and architecting systems that can handle financial data reliability. Approach the process with curiosity—the "Capture The Flag" challenge is a test of your engineering resourcefulness, so have fun with it.

The compensation data above reflects the competitive nature of Ramp's offers. Note that total compensation often includes significant equity components, which is a key part of the value proposition at a high-growth company like Ramp. Ensure you understand the full package, including benefits and equity potential, when evaluating an offer.

Good luck with your preparation. With the right mindset and focus, you are well on your way to joining a team that is reshaping the financial industry. For more detailed question banks and community insights, continue exploring Dataford.