# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** G11
**Company:** [Amadeus](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/amadeus)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$170000 - US$220000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (G11) position at Amadeus. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within the organization.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/amadeus/g11-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Acumen
- People Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Cultural Fit & Communication

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder. How did you handle it?
- Describe your approach to hiring and building a high-performing engineering team.
- How do you foster innovation and creativity within your team?
- Walk me through a complex technical project you managed from inception to delivery.
- How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?
- What is your strategy for mentoring and developing junior engineers?
- Describe a situation where your team missed a critical deadline. What did you do?
- How do you stay updated with the latest technology trends and ensure your team does too?
- What are your thoughts on performance reviews and feedback mechanisms?
- How do you delegate tasks effectively?
- Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.
- How do you ensure code quality and maintainability within your team?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
- Why are you interested in this role at Amadeus?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review Amadeus's mission, values, and recent product developments.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Brush up on software development lifecycle, agile methodologies, and modern engineering practices.
- Understand common challenges in managing engineering teams and how you've overcome them.
- Research common interview questions for engineering managers and practice your responses.
- Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team environment.
- Familiarize yourself with system design principles and how to guide your team in making architectural decisions.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and Amadeus.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company and Role Immersion","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Amadeus's business, products, and technology stack. Understand the company's strategic goals and how engineering contributes. Review your own career achievements and identify key projects and leadership experiences. Focus on understanding the G11 level expectations for an Engineering Manager.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Amadeus business & tech, career review, G11 expectations."}
- {"title":"People Management & Leadership","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management skills. Prepare examples for managing performance, conflict resolution, hiring, onboarding, and career development. Study leadership theories and best practices. Practice articulating your management philosophy.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management skills, leadership philosophy, behavioral examples."}
- {"title":"Technical Acumen & Strategy","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Strengthen technical understanding. Review software architecture, system design principles, scalability, and reliability. Be prepared to discuss technical challenges your team might face and how you would guide them. Understand agile and DevOps practices.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System design, architecture, scalability, agile/DevOps."}
- {"title":"Interview Practice & Questioning","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice answering common interview questions for engineering managers, especially behavioral and situational questions. Refine your STAR method stories. Prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, STAR method practice, question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with distributed teams and asynchronous communication.","Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity in a remote or hybrid environment.","Showcase understanding of global team dynamics and cultural nuances."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management","Cross-cultural communication","Global collaboration tools and strategies"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming team members in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to manage a conflict between team members located in different time zones.","What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration across distributed teams?"]}}
- {"location":"Specific Office Locations (e.g., Nice, Boston, Sydney)","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize experience working with or managing teams in the specific region.","Demonstrate awareness of local industry trends and talent availability.","Be ready to discuss how you've navigated local business practices and compliance."],"interviewFocus":["Regional market understanding","Local talent landscape","Stakeholder management within a specific geographic region"],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure alignment between your team and other engineering teams in the region?","Describe your experience with local hiring practices and talent acquisition.","How do you adapt your management style to the local work culture and regulations?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening Call
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening call with HR to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with HR aims to understand your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying to Amadeus. They will assess your general fit with the company culture and the basic requirements of the Software Engineering Manager role. Expect questions about your experience, why you're looking to move, and your understanding of management responsibilities.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role; Alignment with Amadeus values; Basic understanding of the role's responsibilities; Clarity in communication
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural fit; Motivation for the role and Amadeus
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to provide specific examples of leadership; Poor understanding of team dynamics; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking
## Questions

- Tell me about your experience as a manager.
- Why are you interested in Amadeus?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?

## Preparation tips

- Be prepared to talk about your career journey and why you're interested in Amadeus.
- Have a clear understanding of the job description and how your experience aligns.
- Research Amadeus's mission, values, and recent news.
- Practice articulating your strengths and what you're looking for in your next role.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive
**Type:** Technical Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth, system design, and problem-solving skills.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and ability to lead technical initiatives. You'll likely be asked to discuss your experience with system design, architecture, and solving complex technical problems. The interviewer will assess your understanding of software development principles and your ability to guide a team through technical challenges.
**Interviewers look for:** Sound technical judgment; Ability to think critically and analytically; Experience in designing scalable and reliable systems; Understanding of software development best practices
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership capabilities; Problem-solving skills; System design and architecture understanding; Ability to guide technical decisions
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of technical depth; Inability to articulate technical solutions clearly; Poor problem-solving approach; Weak system design skills
## Questions

- Design a system for [e.g., a ride-sharing service, a URL shortener, a social media feed].
- How would you approach optimizing the performance of a slow-running application?
- Describe a challenging technical problem you solved and your thought process.
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design concepts (scalability, reliability, availability, performance).
- Prepare to discuss past technical challenges and how you approached them.
- Be ready to whiteboard a system design for a given problem.
- Understand common architectural patterns and trade-offs.

## Round 3: People Management & Leadership Interview
**Type:** Managerial Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, leadership style, and strategic thinking.
This interview focuses on your people management and leadership capabilities. You'll be asked behavioral questions about how you've managed teams, handled conflicts, motivated individuals, and driven results. The interviewer will also assess your strategic thinking and how you align team goals with business objectives.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and inspire teams; Empathy and strong interpersonal skills; Strategic mindset; Experience in performance management and career development
**Evaluation criteria:** People management philosophy; Leadership effectiveness; Team building and motivation strategies; Conflict resolution skills; Strategic thinking and planning
**Common rejection reasons:** Poor people management skills; Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership; Lack of strategic vision; Difficulty in handling conflict or difficult conversations
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to manage an underperforming employee. What steps did you take?
- How do you foster a collaborative environment within your team?
- Describe a situation where you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member.
- How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?
- What is your approach to career development for your engineers?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios (e.g., conflict resolution, performance improvement, motivating a team).
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team culture.
- Be ready to discuss how you set goals, provide feedback, and develop your team members.
- Consider how you align team efforts with broader business strategies.

## Round 4: Senior Leadership Interview
**Type:** Senior Leadership / Cultural Fit Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses overall cultural fit, strategic alignment, and collaboration with senior leadership.
This round often involves a senior leader or director who will assess your overall fit within Amadeus, your strategic thinking, and your ability to collaborate across different teams and functions. They might present a complex scenario or ask you to elaborate on your vision for an engineering team. This is also an opportunity for you to ask high-level questions about the company's direction.
**Interviewers look for:** Alignment with Amadeus values; Ability to collaborate effectively; Strong communication skills; Potential for growth within the company; Proactive problem-solving
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural alignment; Collaboration skills; Communication clarity; Problem-solving approach; Growth mindset
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Amadeus culture; Poor communication or collaboration skills; Inability to articulate vision or strategy effectively; Not demonstrating a growth mindset
## Questions

- How would you describe your leadership style?
- Imagine our team is facing [a specific business challenge]. How would you lead them through it?
- How do you ensure your team's work aligns with the company's overall strategy?
- What are your thoughts on building a diverse and inclusive engineering team?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on Amadeus's core values and how your experiences align.
- Prepare to discuss your long-term vision for an engineering team.
- Think about how you collaborate with product management, other engineering teams, and stakeholders.
- Be ready to discuss challenges and opportunities facing engineering leaders today.