# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** Senior Manager
**Company:** [Affirm](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/affirm)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Senior Software Engineering Manager role at Affirm. It evaluates leadership capabilities, technical acumen, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/affirm/senior-manager-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership and People Management
- Technical and Strategic Acumen
- Collaboration and Influence

## Questions asked

- Describe your leadership philosophy and how you build high-performing engineering teams.
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?
- How do you foster innovation and creativity within your team?
- Describe your experience in managing and mentoring engineers at different career levels.
- How do you handle underperformance on your team?
- What is your approach to setting technical direction and strategy for a team?
- How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration between your team and other departments (e.g., Product, Design)?
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?
- What are your thoughts on Affirm's current technology stack and architecture?
- How would you onboard a new engineer into your team?
- Describe a situation where you had to manage conflicting priorities. How did you resolve it?
- How do you measure the success of your team and your own performance as a manager?
- What are your motivations for seeking this role at Affirm?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review Affirm's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Understand common software engineering challenges and best practices.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you develop engineers.
- Be ready to discuss your experience with scaling teams and systems.
- Familiarize yourself with Affirm's product offerings and business model.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company and Self-Assessment","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Affirm's business, products, and engineering culture. Understand their approach to credit, payments, and financial technology. Research recent company announcements and leadership profiles. Begin outlining key career achievements and leadership philosophies.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Affirm's business, culture, and your career highlights."}
- {"title":"Leadership and People Management","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on leadership principles and people management. Review common challenges in managing engineering teams, such as performance management, career development, conflict resolution, and fostering psychological safety. Prepare STAR-based examples for these scenarios.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Leadership principles, people management, and behavioral examples."}
- {"title":"Technical and Strategic Acumen","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Strengthen technical and strategic thinking. Refresh knowledge on system design, scalability, and modern software development practices. Prepare to discuss how you've influenced technical roadmaps and made strategic decisions in previous roles. Consider how you would approach technical challenges at Affirm.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Technical strategy, system design, and decision-making."}
- {"title":"Collaboration and Communication","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice communication and collaboration. Prepare examples of cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and influencing without direct authority. Refine your ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management."}
- {"title":"Final Preparation","longDescription":"Week 8: Mock interviews and final review. Conduct mock interviews focusing on all aspects of the role. Review your prepared examples and ensure you can articulate your experience effectively. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 8: Mock interviews and final preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote or hybrid team leadership.","Provide examples of successful cross-location project execution.","Emphasize your understanding of communication challenges and solutions in distributed teams."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management","Cross-functional collaboration in a distributed environment","Adaptability to different work models"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to adapt your leadership style for a distributed team.","What are your strategies for fostering collaboration and innovation in a hybrid work environment?"]}}
- {"location":"On-site (e.g., San Francisco, New York)","differences":{"tips":["Showcase experience in building and scaling engineering teams in a physical office.","Provide examples of managing complex technical projects with multiple dependencies.","Demonstrate a clear understanding of how engineering contributes to overall business success."],"interviewFocus":["On-site team dynamics","Managing technical diversity","Alignment with business goals"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster a strong engineering culture in a large, centralized office?","Describe your approach to managing multiple engineering teams with diverse technical stacks.","How do you ensure alignment between engineering roadmaps and business objectives in a co-located setting?"]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter Phone Screen
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to understand your background, career aspirations, and alignment with Affirm's culture and the specific requirements of the Senior Software Engineering Manager role. They will assess your communication skills and provide an overview of the interview process.
**Interviewers look for:** Basic qualifications; Communication style; Motivation for the role
**Evaluation criteria:** Initial assessment of experience and alignment with the role; Communication clarity; Enthusiasm for Affirm
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear leadership vision; Inability to provide specific examples of team management; Poor communication or interpersonal skills; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking; Lack of cultural fit
## Questions

- Walk me through your resume.
- Why are you interested in Affirm?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
- What are you looking for in your next role?

## Preparation tips

- Be prepared to discuss your resume in detail.
- Articulate your career goals and why Affirm is a good fit.
- Have questions ready about the role and the company.

## Round 2: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Leadership and People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses leadership style, team management, and people development skills.
This interview focuses on your leadership capabilities and experience in managing engineering teams. You'll be asked to provide specific examples of how you've built, led, and developed teams, handled performance issues, resolved conflicts, and fostered a collaborative environment.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and grow engineering teams; Experience in fostering a positive team environment; Skills in developing individual engineers; Ability to handle challenging team dynamics
**Evaluation criteria:** Leadership style and effectiveness; Team building and development strategies; Conflict resolution and performance management; Mentorship and coaching abilities
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate leadership philosophy; Lack of concrete examples for managing teams; Poor conflict resolution skills; Difficulty in explaining strategic decisions; Weak understanding of people development
## Questions

- Describe your leadership philosophy.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- How do you approach career development for your team members?
- Describe a situation where you had to deliver difficult feedback to an employee.
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety on your team?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed examples using the STAR method for leadership and people management scenarios.
- Think about your approach to hiring, onboarding, and retaining talent.
- Be ready to discuss how you motivate and develop engineers.
- Consider how you handle underperformance and difficult conversations.

## Round 3: Technical Deep Dive
**Type:** Technical and Strategic Thinking Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
This interview evaluates your technical expertise, strategic thinking, and ability to drive technical initiatives. You'll discuss your experience with system design, architecture, scaling, and how you align technical roadmaps with business objectives. Expect scenario-based questions related to technical challenges.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to define and execute technical strategy; Sound judgment in technical decision-making; Experience with scaling systems and teams; Understanding of software development best practices
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and planning; Technical depth and breadth; System design and architecture understanding; Problem-solving skills; Ability to influence technical direction
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision; Inability to connect technical decisions to business outcomes; Weak understanding of system design and scalability; Poor problem-solving approach; Difficulty in articulating technical trade-offs
## Questions

- How do you approach setting a technical roadmap for a team?
- Describe a complex system you helped design or scale. What were the challenges?
- How do you balance the need for new features with addressing technical debt?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was your reasoning?
- How do you ensure your team's work aligns with broader business goals?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare examples of strategic technical decisions you've made.
- Think about how you balance innovation with stability and maintainability.
- Be ready to discuss your experience with different technology stacks and their trade-offs.

## Round 4: Cross-functional Interview
**Type:** Cross-functional Collaboration Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
This interview focuses on your ability to collaborate with cross-functional partners, such as Product Management and Design. You'll discuss how you build relationships, manage stakeholders, influence decisions, and drive projects forward in a collaborative environment. Expect questions about navigating ambiguity and aligning different perspectives.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to work effectively with Product, Design, and other departments; Skills in influencing without authority; Effective communication across different levels and functions; Alignment with Affirm's core values
**Evaluation criteria:** Cross-functional collaboration; Stakeholder management; Communication and influence; Problem-solving in ambiguous situations; Cultural alignment
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of collaboration skills; Inability to influence stakeholders; Poor communication with cross-functional partners; Difficulty in handling ambiguity; Not demonstrating alignment with Affirm's values
## Questions

- How do you partner with Product Management to define a product roadmap?
- Describe a time you had to influence a stakeholder who had a different opinion.
- How do you ensure effective communication between your engineering team and other departments?
- Tell me about a project where priorities shifted significantly. How did you manage it?
- How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive work environment?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional projects.
- Think about how you communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle disagreements with stakeholders.
- Reflect on Affirm's values and how you embody them.

## Round 5: VP/Director Level Interview
**Type:** Executive/Final Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Final discussion with senior leadership to assess strategic alignment and cultural fit.
This final interview is with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Engineering or CTO). It's an opportunity to discuss your broader strategic vision, leadership philosophy at a higher level, and your long-term career goals. They will assess your overall fit with the company's direction and culture.
**Interviewers look for:** Senior leadership potential; Alignment with Affirm's strategic direction; Ability to represent the company effectively; Passion and commitment
**Evaluation criteria:** Executive presence and communication; Strategic vision alignment; Cultural fit at a senior level; Long-term career aspirations
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with senior leadership vision; Inability to articulate strategic priorities; Poor fit with executive presence; Unclear career aspirations; Failure to demonstrate passion for Affirm's mission
## Questions

- What is your vision for the engineering organization at Affirm?
- How do you see yourself contributing to Affirm's long-term success?
- What are the biggest challenges facing engineering leaders in the fintech industry today?
- What questions do you have for me about Affirm's strategy or engineering direction?

## Preparation tips

- Be prepared to discuss your vision for engineering at Affirm.
- Articulate how your leadership style aligns with senior leadership expectations.
- Have thoughtful questions about the company's future and strategic challenges.
- Reiterate your enthusiasm and commitment to Affirm's mission.