# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** M60
**Company:** [Atlassian](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/atlassian)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~21 days
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.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/atlassian/m60-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership & People Management
- Technical Acumen & Strategy
- Collaboration & Communication
- Execution & Drive

## Questions 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.

## Preparation tips

### lists

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

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Foundation & Self-Reflection","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Atlassian culture, values, products. Personal career review. STAR method prep."}
- {"title":"People & Technical Management Skills","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management skills. Study topics like performance management, career development, coaching, conflict resolution, hiring, and building inclusive teams. Prepare examples related to these areas. Review technical leadership concepts, including setting technical direction, architectural decision-making, and managing technical debt.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management (performance, coaching, hiring). Technical leadership (vision, architecture, debt)."}
- {"title":"Strategic Thinking & Practice","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and strategic thinking. Prepare for questions related to cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and driving execution. Refine your STAR examples and practice delivering them concisely and impactfully. Conduct mock interviews focusing on management and leadership scenarios.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Leadership philosophy, strategy, collaboration. STAR refinement. Mock interviews."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Sydney","differences":{"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."],"interviewFocus":["Leadership and team building","Technical strategy and execution","People management and development","Cross-functional collaboration","Understanding of Atlassian's products and culture"],"commonQuestions":["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."]}}
- {"location":"Austin","differences":{"tips":["Provide concrete examples of how you've improved team efficiency and delivery.","Demonstrate your understanding of system design principles and scalability challenges.","Be prepared to talk about your experience with cloud technologies and DevOps practices.","For Austin, emphasize your experience in high-growth environments and managing distributed systems."],"interviewFocus":["Operational excellence","Technical leadership and architecture","Team performance and productivity","Stakeholder management","Adaptability to fast-paced environments"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming team members?","Describe your experience with setting technical direction for a team.","How do you balance delivering on short-term goals with long-term technical vision?","What are your strategies for managing stakeholder expectations?","In Austin, we often see questions related to scaling infrastructure and dealing with rapid growth. Prepare examples of how you've managed this."]}}
- {"location":"Bangalore","differences":{"tips":["Share examples of how you've built inclusive and supportive team environments.","Articulate your thought process for making complex technical decisions.","Showcase your ability to drive initiatives and take ownership.","For Bangalore, be prepared for in-depth technical discussions and problem-solving scenarios."],"interviewFocus":["Team health and psychological safety","Technical decision-making and trade-offs","Accountability and ownership","Continuous learning and technical curiosity","Problem-solving and analytical skills"],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure psychological safety within your team?","Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between technical debt and feature delivery.","What is your approach to fostering a culture of accountability?","How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?","In Bangalore, there's a focus on technical depth and problem-solving. Be ready to dive deep into technical challenges you've faced."]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening
**Type:** HR / Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening by HR to assess basic qualifications, motivation, and cultural fit.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit for the role and Atlassian. They will explore your career history, motivations for applying, and high-level understanding of management principles. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and the company culture.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Atlassian and the role.; Clear communication and ability to articulate their background.; Alignment with core Atlassian values.; Basic understanding of management principles.
**Evaluation criteria:** Leadership potential; Communication skills; Cultural fit; Initial assessment of experience
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear examples demonstrating leadership impact.; Inability to articulate a coherent people management strategy.; Poor communication or inability to connect with the interviewer.; Lack of strategic thinking or understanding of business context.; Failure to demonstrate alignment with Atlassian's values.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career journey.
- Why are you interested in this Software Engineering Manager role at Atlassian?
- What do you know about Atlassian's products and culture?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Research Atlassian's mission, values, and products.
- Prepare your 'elevator pitch' about your career and why you're interested in this role.
- Be ready to discuss your resume and key accomplishments.
- Think about why you want to work at Atlassian specifically.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive
**Type:** Technical Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth, system design, and problem-solving skills.
This technical interview focuses on your ability to understand and guide complex technical challenges. You'll be asked to discuss system design, architecture, scalability, and problem-solving scenarios. The interviewer will assess your technical judgment, your ability to make sound trade-offs, and your understanding of software development best practices.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of software architecture and design patterns.; Ability to discuss trade-offs and make sound technical decisions.; Experience with scaling systems and performance optimization.; Knowledge of various technology stacks relevant to Atlassian.; Ability to mentor engineers on technical topics.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; System design and architecture skills; Problem-solving abilities; Ability to guide technical strategy; Understanding of software development best practices
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of structured approach to problem-solving.; Inability to articulate technical decisions or trade-offs clearly.; Insufficient depth in technical knowledge relevant to the role.; Poor communication of technical concepts.; Failure to demonstrate ownership or accountability for technical outcomes.
## Questions

- Design a system for [e.g., real-time collaboration, issue tracking, code repository management]. Discuss scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
- How would you approach optimizing the performance of a large-scale web application?
- Describe a challenging technical problem you solved. What was your approach?
- How do you manage technical debt within a team?
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles, common architectural patterns, and scalability concepts.
- Practice designing scalable and reliable systems.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with specific technologies and how you've used them.
- Think about how you would approach technical challenges faced by Atlassian's products.
- Brush up on data structures and algorithms, though the focus will be on application in a management context.

## Round 3: People Management
**Type:** People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on your ability to lead, manage, and develop engineering teams.
This round focuses entirely on your people management capabilities. You'll be asked behavioral questions about how you lead, mentor, develop, and manage engineers. The interviewer will probe into your experience with performance reviews, career pathing, conflict resolution, and building a strong team culture.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to hire, develop, and retain talent.; Experience in performance management and providing constructive feedback.; Skills in conflict resolution and mediation.; Strategies for motivating and engaging teams.; Understanding of how to create an inclusive and psychologically safe environment.
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Team building and development; Conflict resolution; Coaching and mentoring abilities; Fostering a positive team culture
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide specific examples of people management.; Lack of a clear strategy for team development and performance.; Poor handling of conflict or difficult conversations.; Failure to demonstrate empathy or understanding of team dynamics.; Not showing a proactive approach to fostering a positive team culture.
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
- How do you approach career development and growth for your team members?
- Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
- How do you foster a culture of accountability and ownership within your team?
- What is your strategy for hiring and onboarding new engineers?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for scenarios related to hiring, firing, performance improvement, conflict resolution, and team building.
- Think about your philosophy on people management and team development.
- Consider how you foster diversity and inclusion within your teams.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle underperformance and motivate individuals.

## Round 4: Strategic Leadership
**Type:** Managerial / Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and leadership influence.
This interview assesses your strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and ability to influence across the organization. You'll discuss how you set direction for your team, collaborate with other functions (like Product Management and Design), manage stakeholders, and contribute to broader business goals. This is often with a more senior leader.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to set a clear vision and strategy for their team.; Experience collaborating with product management, design, and other departments.; Skills in influencing stakeholders and driving alignment across teams.; Understanding of business objectives and how engineering contributes.; Demonstrated leadership in driving initiatives and achieving results.
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and vision; Cross-functional collaboration; Stakeholder management; Influence and impact; Leadership presence
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision or inability to connect team's work to business goals.; Poor communication of strategy or vision.; Inability to influence stakeholders or drive alignment.; Not demonstrating leadership beyond their immediate team.; Failure to show adaptability and resilience in leadership.
## Questions

- How do you align your team's roadmap with the company's strategic objectives?
- Describe a time you had to influence a decision with stakeholders outside your direct team.
- What is your vision for a high-performing engineering team in the next 1-2 years?
- How do you balance competing priorities from different stakeholders?
- Tell me about a time you had to drive a significant change within your team or organization.

## Preparation tips

- Think about how your team's work aligns with Atlassian's overall business strategy.
- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional collaborations.
- Consider how you influence decisions and drive alignment across different teams.
- Be ready to discuss your long-term vision for an engineering team.
- Understand the challenges and opportunities facing Atlassian's product areas.

## Round 5: Values & Culture Alignment
**Type:** Cultural Fit / Values Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses alignment with Atlassian's values and cultural fit.
This round is often with a peer Engineering Manager or a key cross-functional partner (e.g., Product Manager, Design Lead). It focuses on assessing your cultural fit, collaboration style, and alignment with Atlassian's core values. They'll look for how you work with others, your approach to teamwork, and your overall alignment with the company's ethos.
**Interviewers look for:** Demonstration of Atlassian's core values in past experiences.; Ability to work effectively with others.; Genuine enthusiasm for Atlassian's mission.; Self-awareness and a growth mindset.; Alignment with the team and company culture.
**Evaluation criteria:** Alignment with Atlassian's values (Teamwork, আগ্রression, Customer Focus, Best Outcome, Humility); Self-awareness; Collaboration style; Cultural fit; Motivation and passion
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Atlassian's core values.; Poor demonstration of collaboration and teamwork.; Inability to articulate personal values and how they align with the company.; Lack of self-awareness regarding strengths and weaknesses.; Not showing genuine interest or passion for the role and company.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with a Product Manager. How did you resolve it?
- How do you ensure your team is customer-focused?
- Describe a situation where you had to demonstrate humility.
- How do you foster teamwork within your own team and with other teams?
- What does 'Best Outcome' mean to you in a professional context?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Atlassian's core values (Teamwork, আগ্রression, Customer Focus, Best Outcome, Humility) and prepare examples that demonstrate them.
- Think about how you collaborate with Product Managers, Designers, and other functions.
- Reflect on your own values and how they align with Atlassian's.
- Be prepared to discuss how you build positive working relationships.