The role of a Software Engineer at Greif is integral to driving innovation and efficiency within the company’s diverse product lines, which include industrial packaging and container solutions globally. As a Software Engineer, you will contribute to the design and implementation of software systems that enhance operational capabilities, streamline logistics, and improve customer interactions. This role is critical in shaping the digital transformation initiatives that empower Greif to maintain its competitive edge in the marketplace. In this position, you will work closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, operations, and IT, to develop solutions that directly impact product quality, cost efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The complexity and scale of Greif’s operations require a strong engineering mindset, where you will be tasked with solving real-world problems that influence the company’s strategic direction. You can expect to engage with a variety of technologies and methodologies, providing an exciting opportunity to grow your skills while making a meaningful impact.
Initial Screening Call
reportedConducted by an HR recruiter to assess background and role fit.
What to demonstrate
- Conducted by an HR recruiter to assess background and role fit
- Depth in Interview process participation
How to prepare
- Be able to walk your CV end to end in two minutes, and say why this company specifically.
- Have your salary expectations, notice period and location constraints ready, and ask for the rest of the loop in writing.
Technical Interviews
reportedOne or more interviews with engineering managers or team leads to evaluate technical competencies.
What to demonstrate
- One or more interviews with engineering managers or team leads to evaluate technical competencies
- Depth in Interview process participation
How to prepare
- Answer aloud and timed: Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you resolved it.
- Answer aloud and timed: How do you approach debugging an application?
PracHub editorial advice for the preparation topics above.
Prepare Real-World Examples
Be ready to discuss specific projects you have worked on, including challenges faced and solutions implemented. This will help illustrate your experience and problem-solving skills.
Practice Coding
If the role involves coding, practice solving problems on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to sharpen your skills and prepare for technical assessments.
Research Greif
Familiarize yourself with Greif’s products, services, and recent developments in the industry. This knowledge can help you align your responses with the company’s goals.
Be Yourself
Authenticity is valued in interviews. Be honest about your experiences and aspirations, and don’t hesitate to express your enthusiasm for the role.
Choose a category, try a prompt, then open its approach, worked solution or follow-up when you need it.
Write a function to reverse a string. What is its time complexity?
Write a function to reverse a string. What is its time complexity?
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
How would you find the longest palindrome in a given string?
How would you find the longest palindrome in a given string?
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Explain the concept of recursion and provide an example.
Explain the concept of recursion and provide an example.
Approach
- Restate the input: its shape, its size, and what is guaranteed about it.
- Name the brute-force solution and its complexity before improving on it.
- Choose the data structure from the access pattern, not from familiarity.
- State the target complexity and say which constraint rules the naive version out.
Follow-up
- How does this change if the input no longer fits in memory?
- What is the worst case, and how likely is it on real data?
Write the update path that detects a concurrent edit
resource carries version INT NOT NULL DEFAULT 1. resource_revision holds revision_id, resource_id, version, actor_user_id, change_kind, patch JSONB, request_id, created_at with UNIQUE (resource_id, version). outbox_event holds aggregate_type, aggregate_id, aggregate_version, event_type, payload, status. A PUT carries the version the client read. Write the exact statements for the single transaction that applies the edit, records the revision and enqueues 'resource.updated', and give the handler's branch on zero affected rows. Then say what PostgreSQL 16 does under READ COMMITTED when two of these updates hit one row at once.
Approach
- One transaction, three writes, no network call inside it: UPDATE resource SET title = $3, version = version + 1, updated_at = now() WHERE resource_id = $1 AND tenant_id = $4 AND version = $2; then INSERT the resource_revision row at version $2 + 1; then INSERT the outbox_event row at the same aggregate_version. The event goes to a table rather than a broker because no transaction spans both.
- Branch on the affected-row count before doing anything else. Zero has three causes — stale version, wrong tenant, row gone — so re-read once and map to 409 carrying the current version, or 404 for an id outside the caller's tenant, which also stops the endpoint confirming that another tenant's id exists.
- State the engine behaviour instead of assuming it. Under READ COMMITTED the second UPDATE blocks on the row lock, and when the first commits PostgreSQL re-evaluates the WHERE clause against the newly committed row, so the version predicate now fails and the statement reports zero rows. Under REPEATABLE READ the identical collision raises SQLSTATE 40001 instead, so the handler must fold both shapes into one conflict response.
- Keep UNIQUE (resource_id, version) even though the predicate already serialises writers. It is what makes a lost update unwritable if any other path ever reaches the revision table, and it converts a logic bug into 23505 rather than into a silently missing history row.
Follow-up
- A client sends the version it read ten minutes ago and the resource has moved three versions. What is in your 409 so it can resolve the conflict without a full re-fetch?
- Two editors, two disjoint fields, no overlap. Does your answer still refuse the second write, and should it?
Stop tag and share joins from fanning out a page
resource_tag is (resource_id, tag_id) with PK (resource_id, tag_id); resource_share is (resource_id, shared_with_user_id, permission). The tagged-and-shared listing inner-joins resource to both, filters tenant_id, tag_id = ANY($2) and shared_with_user_id = $3, orders by updated_at DESC and takes 50. Pages come back with fewer than 50 distinct resources and the total in the header is far too high. Explain the row multiplication, rewrite both the page query and the count query so each is correct, and name the index each one needs. PostgreSQL 16.
Approach
- Do the arithmetic against the predicates that are actually there. An inner join emits one row per matching child row, and both joins are filtered: tag_id = ANY($2) admits only the requested tags, shared_with_user_id = $3 admits one user's share rows. So a resource holding three of the requested tags and shared with $3 once yields three rows, not one — the multiplier is its count of matching tags times its share rows for that single user, and that second factor is 1 unless the table admits duplicate (resource_id, shared_with_user_id) pairs. LIMIT 50 then limits rows rather than resources, and COUNT(*) counts pairs — the header is the product, not the population.
- Reject DISTINCT as the fix. It deduplicates after the product has been built, so the planner must materialise and sort the fanned-out set before the LIMIT can apply, and it leaves any SUM or AVG in the same select list wrong.
- Rewrite both filters as semi-joins, keeping resource as the only row source: AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM resource_tag rt WHERE rt.resource_id = r.resource_id AND rt.tag_id = ANY($2)) and the same shape against resource_share. A semi-join stops at the first match per resource and preserves the driving index order, so ORDER BY updated_at DESC, resource_id DESC LIMIT 50 still stops after 50 rows.
- Count with the same predicates and no join at all: SELECT count(*) FROM resource r WHERE r.tenant_id = $1 AND r.status = 'active' AND EXISTS (...) AND EXISTS (...). Nothing multiplies a resource, so the number is the population.
Follow-up
- The filter changes from 'any of these tags' to 'all of these tags'. Rewrite it and state what it costs relative to the ANY form.
- A resource can be shared with the same user twice under different permissions. Does your count change, and should it?
What programming languages are you most comfortable with, and why?
What programming languages are you most comfortable with, and why?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Can you explain the difference between object-oriented and functional programming?
Can you explain the difference between object-oriented and functional programming?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you resolved it.
Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you resolved it.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
What tools do you use for version control and why?
What tools do you use for version control and why?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How would you approach designing a new feature for an existing software product?
How would you approach designing a new feature for an existing software product?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
If you were given a project with vague requirements, how would you clarify the goals?
If you were given a project with vague requirements, how would you clarify the goals?
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
Describe how you would test a new software application before deployment.
Describe how you would test a new software application before deployment.
Approach
- Clarify what is being asked and what a complete answer contains.
- State your assumptions explicitly before working the problem.
- Say what you would check first and why it is the highest-information step.
- Work from the requirement backwards to the design.
Follow-up
- What assumption would you test first?
- How would you know your answer was wrong?
How do you approach debugging an application?
How do you approach debugging an application?
Approach
- Establish what changed and when, before forming any theory.
- Pick a bisection that eliminates candidates whichever way it turns out.
- Check the instrumentation before believing the symptom.
- Separate the trigger from the cause; the deploy is rarely the bug.
Follow-up
- What would you look at first, and what would it rule out?
- How would you tell a cause from a coincidence here?
Built from the rounds and topics Greif candidates report.
Prepare, practise & reflect
One practical outcome each day. Spend longer where you need it.
0 / 7 done01Map the Greif loop
- Write out the reported sequence: Initial Screening Call, Technical Interviews.
- For each round, write one sentence on what it is judging, from the description above, and mark the one you are least ready for.
Deliverable: A one-page map of the 2 reported rounds, with the weakest marked.
02Work Interview process participation
- Spend the session on Interview process participation, which Greif candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Interview process participation and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Interview process participation.
03Work Behavioral interview questions
- Spend the session on Behavioral interview questions, which Greif candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Behavioral interview questions and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Behavioral interview questions.
04Work Resume walkthrough and alignment
- Spend the session on Resume walkthrough and alignment, which Greif candidates report being tested on.
- Write one worked example in Resume walkthrough and alignment and time yourself on it.
Deliverable: One timed worked example in Resume walkthrough and alignment.
05Answer out loud: Technical / Domain Questions
- Answer aloud, timed: What programming languages are you most comfortable with, and why?
- Answer aloud, timed: Can you explain the difference between object-oriented and functional programming?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Technical / Domain Questions question(s), under time.
06Answer out loud: Behavioral / Leadership
- Answer aloud, timed: Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure. How did you manage?
- Answer aloud, timed: Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you resolve it?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Behavioral / Leadership question(s), under time.
07Answer out loud: Problem-Solving / Case Studies
- Answer aloud, timed: How would you approach designing a new feature for an existing software product?
- Answer aloud, timed: If you were given a project with vague requirements, how would you clarify the goals?
Deliverable: Spoken answers to 2 reported Problem-Solving / Case Studies question(s), under time.
Expand any day for tasks and deliverables. Your progress is saved on this device.
Behavioural rounds judge the decision you made and what it cost.
Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure. How did you manage?
Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure. How did you manage?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you resolve it?
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you resolve it?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
What motivates you to perform well in your job?
What motivates you to perform well in your job?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
How do you prioritize your tasks when managing multiple projects?
How do you prioritize your tasks when managing multiple projects?
Approach
- Pick a story where you made the decision, not one where you watched it.
- State the situation in two sentences and spend the rest on the reasoning.
- Give the blast radius: what could have broken, and what you measured.
- Name the disagreement and how you resolved it with evidence.
Follow-up
- What would you do differently if you ran that again?
- How did you know your change caused the improvement?
- 01
Tell me about a time you had to work under pressure. How did you manage?
- 02
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you resolve it?
- 03
What motivates you to perform well in your job?
- 04
How do you prioritize your tasks when managing multiple projects?
How difficult is the interview process at Greif?
The interview process is generally considered moderate in difficulty, with a mix of technical and behavioral questions. Candidates should prepare thoroughly and expect to demonstrate their problem-solving skills.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What differentiates successful candidates?
Successful candidates often exhibit strong technical skills, effective communication abilities, and a demonstrated alignment with Greif's values. They also show adaptability and a willingness to learn.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What is the culture like at Greif?
Greif fosters a collaborative and innovative culture, valuing teamwork and accountability. Employees are encouraged to contribute ideas and engage in continuous improvement.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗How long does the interview process take?
The timeline from initial screening to offer typically ranges from a few weeks to over a month, depending on scheduling and the number of interview rounds.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Are there remote work options available?
While the specifics may vary by role and location, Greif often offers flexible work arrangements, including hybrid options. Candidates should inquire about this during the interview process.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗What topics does Greif test in interviews?
Greif interviews most often cover Financial Analysis, Interview process participation, Business Analysis, HR Screening, and Behavioral interview questions. The exact emphasis depends on the specific role you apply for.
Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗Sources & methodology 3 sources ↗
No official company page is cited. Rounds and questions come from candidate reports and PracHub editorial material; each source shows the date it was read.
- 01Greif Software Engineer candidate reports ↗
Company-reported rounds, questions and FAQ.
Candidate reports · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 02PracHub Software Engineer practice ↗
PracHub practice material, not company-reported.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22 - 03PracHub preparation framework ↗
PracHub preparation guidance.
PracHub page · Accessed 2026-09-22
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