- Data Structure Manipulation – Efficiently using arrays, hash maps, and strings to solve algorithmic problems.
- Language-Specific Implementations – Solving coding challenges using languages like JavaScript or Python depending on the test requirements.
Example scenarios:
- Writing a SQL query to identify patient cohorts who have undergone specific treatments within a precise timeframe.
- Implementing an algorithm to parse and validate complex clinical data strings.
Live Coding & Pair Programming
The live coding round is a collaborative session with two engineering team members. It focuses on your ability to build functional, clean, and maintainable software components rather than solving abstract riddles.
During this hour, you will write code in a shared environment. You may be asked to build a small web service, implement REST API endpoints, or write interactive frontend components. The interviewers will observe your coding style, your familiarity with modern frameworks, and how you structure your code.
Be ready to go over:
- REST API Development – Setting up routes, handling HTTP requests, and returning structured JSON data using frameworks like Express or FastAPI.
- Asynchronous Programming – Managing asynchronous operations, promises, and API integrations smoothly.
- React Components – Creating functional, stateful UI components that interact with backend services.
- Advanced concepts –
- Middleware integration for authentication and logging.
- Error handling and input validation in web frameworks.
Example scenarios:
- Building a basic Express server with endpoints to create, read, update, and delete patient records.
- Creating a React component that fetches data from a mock API and displays it in a searchable table.
System Design & Architecture
The system design session evaluates your ability to architect scalable, resilient, and secure software systems. This is a conversational interview where you will lead the whiteboarding or diagramming process.
You will design a system from scratch, discussing data models, network protocols, caching strategies, and service boundaries. Because Tempus AI handles sensitive healthcare data, incorporating security, data privacy, and compliance considerations into your design will highly differentiate your performance.
Be ready to go over:
- Data Modeling – Choosing between relational databases and NoSQL solutions for complex clinical and genomic data.
- Scalability and Performance – Implementing caching layers, load balancers, and message queues to handle high-traffic volumes.
- API Design – Designing clean, versioned, and secure APIs for internal and external consumption.
- Advanced concepts –
- Microservices communication patterns (gRPC vs. REST vs. Event-driven).
- Data compliance and security architectures (HIPAA, encryption at rest and in transit).
Example scenarios:
- Designing a system that ingests, processes, and stores genomic sequencing data from multiple external laboratories.
- Architecting a secure, high-throughput API gateway that handles authentication and rate limiting for healthcare providers.
Behavioral & Product Alignment
The behavioral rounds assess your soft skills, your collaboration style, and how you align with the fast-paced, mission-driven culture at Tempus AI. You will speak with product managers, engineering leads, and directors.
Interviewers want to see that you can communicate complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders, adapt to changing product requirements, and work effectively within cross-functional teams. They will also explore your career motivations and your genuine interest in the intersection of healthcare and technology.
Be ready to go over:
- Cross-Functional Collaboration – How you partner with product managers, QA, and data scientists to deliver features.
- Conflict Resolution – Navigating technical disagreements and reaching a consensus with your team.
- Prioritization and Delivery – Managing your time and deliverables when faced with tight deadlines or shifting requirements.
Example scenarios:
- Describing a situation where you had to make a technical compromise to meet a critical product launch deadline.
- Sharing an experience where you had to explain a complex technical limitation to a product manager and propose an alternative solution.
