Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerM60High

The Software Engineering Manager (M60) interview at Atlassian is a comprehensive process designed to assess a candidate's leadership capabilities, technical acumen, people management skills, and strategic thinking. It evaluates their ability to lead and grow engineering teams, drive technical excellence, and contribute to Atlassian's mission and values.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~21d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·270 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Demonstrates strong leadership and ability to inspire and motivate teams.
  • Effectively manages and develops engineers, fostering their career growth.
  • Possesses sound technical judgment and can guide technical strategy.
  • Drives execution and delivers results through their team.
  • Exhibits excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Aligns with Atlassian's values and culture.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Understand Atlassian's mission, values, and products deeply.
  2. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  3. Review common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
  4. Think about your leadership philosophy and how you build and manage high-performing teams.
  5. Research the specific challenges and opportunities relevant to the team you are interviewing for.
  6. Practice articulating your technical vision and decision-making process.
  7. Be ready to discuss your experience with Agile methodologies, performance management, and conflict resolution.
  8. Network with current Atlassian Engineering Managers to gain insights.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 03 phases

01 / 03
01

Phase 01 of 03

Foundation & Self-Reflection

Weeks 1-2: Atlassian culture, values, products. Personal career review. STAR method prep.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Atlassian's culture, values, products (Jira, Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket), and recent news. Understand Atlassian's approach to leadership and management. Review your own career history and identify key achievements and leadership moments. Start preparing STAR method examples for common leadership and behavioral questions.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder. How did you handle it?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and psychological safety within your team?
  • Describe your approach to performance management and career development for your engineers.
  • What are your strategies for balancing short-term delivery with long-term technical vision?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical decision. What was your process and the outcome?
  • How do you handle conflict within your team?
  • Describe a situation where you had to lead your team through a period of significant change or uncertainty.
  • How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
  • What is your experience with Agile methodologies and continuous improvement?
  • How do you approach hiring and building a diverse and high-performing team?
  • Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
  • How do you delegate tasks effectively?
  • What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you manage it?
  • How do you motivate your team, especially during challenging times?
  • Describe your leadership style.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Sydney

Interview focus

Leadership and team buildingTechnical strategy and executionPeople management and developmentCross-functional collaborationUnderstanding of Atlassian's products and culture

Common questions

  • Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • Tell me about a challenging technical decision you had to make as a manager. What was the outcome?
  • How do you approach performance management and career development for your engineers?
  • In Sydney, there's a strong emphasis on collaboration with product management and design teams. Be prepared to discuss how you build these cross-functional relationships.

Tips

  • Highlight experience with Agile methodologies and scaling teams.
  • Showcase your ability to mentor and develop engineers at various career stages.
  • Be ready to discuss your approach to hiring and building diverse teams.
  • For Sydney, emphasize your experience working with distributed or global teams if applicable.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Atlassian.

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Other guides

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