Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerSenior Manager1High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager position at Akamai, specifically at the Senior Manager 1 level. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Akamai's fast-paced and innovative environment.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·240 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth relevant to Akamai's technology stack.
  • Ability to architect scalable and resilient systems.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly research Akamai's products, services, and company culture.
  2. Review your past projects and identify key accomplishments and challenges.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Understand Akamai's approach to software development, scalability, and reliability.
  5. Familiarize yourself with common software engineering management principles and best practices.
  6. Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you motivate teams.
  7. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Company & Self-Assessment

Weeks 1-2: Akamai research, resume review, STAR method prep.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Akamai's business, products (CDN, security, edge computing), and recent news. Understand their market position and competitive landscape. Review your resume and identify key leadership experiences and technical contributions. Start preparing STAR method examples for common management scenarios (conflict resolution, performance issues, project delivery).

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your experience managing software engineering teams, including team size and composition.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you handle underperforming team members?
  • Describe your approach to hiring and retaining top engineering talent.
  • How do you balance the need for technical excellence with the pressure to deliver features quickly?
  • Walk me through a complex project you managed from conception to delivery. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?
  • How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is leveraging appropriate tools and practices?
  • Describe a time you had to resolve a conflict within your team or between your team and another.
  • How do you measure the success of your team and your own performance as a manager?
  • What are your thoughts on Akamai's role in the edge computing landscape?
  • How would you contribute to Akamai's mission and values?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote/Hybrid Focused Roles

Interview focus

Adaptability to remote/hybrid team managementExperience with distributed teams and asynchronous communicationUnderstanding of global collaboration tools and best practices

Common questions

  • How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to manage a project with significant cross-functional dependencies across different time zones.
  • What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration in a hybrid work model?

Tips

  • Highlight experience managing geographically dispersed teams.
  • Be prepared to discuss strategies for effective remote communication and engagement.
  • Showcase your understanding of cultural nuances in global team management.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Akamai.

Frequently reported on Akamai loops

View all at Akamai

Other guides

More at Akamai.