Software Engineering Manager
The Software Engineering Manager (M70) 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 teams, drive technical excellence, foster a positive engineering culture, and contribute to Atlassian's overall product vision and business goals.
4
~14 days
8 - 15 yrs
US$180000 - US$250000
210 min
Overall Evaluation Criteria
Leadership & People Management
Technical Acumen & Execution
Collaboration & Influence
Cultural Alignment & Adaptability
Preparation Tips
Study Plan
Company & Self-Assessment
Weeks 1-2: Atlassian culture, values, business. Personal leadership experiences (STAR stories).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Atlassian's culture, values, and business. Review your own leadership experiences and identify key achievements and challenges. Prepare STAR stories related to team building, conflict resolution, and strategic decision-making. Familiarize yourself with Atlassian's product suite and target markets.
People Management & Team Dynamics
Weeks 3-4: People management (performance, career dev, conflict). Agile practices.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into people management. Study topics like performance management, career development, coaching, conflict resolution, and fostering psychological safety. Prepare examples of how you've handled difficult conversations and supported team growth. Review agile methodologies and best practices for managing software development teams.
Technical Leadership & Strategy
Weeks 5-6: Technical strategy, system design, architecture, scalability, operational excellence.
Weeks 5-6: Focus on technical leadership and strategy. Refresh your understanding of system design, architecture, scalability, and operational excellence. Prepare to discuss how you set technical direction, manage technical debt, and drive innovation. Consider how you would align technical strategy with business objectives.
Interview Practice & Final Preparation
Week 7: Mock interviews, refine STAR stories, prepare questions. Final review.
Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on behavioral and situational questions. Refine your STAR stories and ensure clear, concise communication. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company. Finalize your understanding of Atlassian's strategic priorities.
Commonly Asked Questions
Location-Based Differences
Remote/Distributed Teams
Interview Focus
Common Questions
How do you handle underperforming team members 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 team cohesion across different time zones?
Tips
Growth Stage Companies
Interview Focus
Common Questions
How do you balance the needs of a fast-paced startup environment with established processes?
Describe your experience with scaling engineering teams and infrastructure in a high-growth setting.
How do you foster innovation and agility within a larger organization?
Tips
Large Enterprise Companies
Interview Focus
Common Questions
How do you ensure alignment with broader organizational goals and strategies?
Describe your experience in managing cross-functional dependencies and stakeholder relationships.
How do you contribute to setting and achieving long-term technical vision?
Tips
Process Timeline
Interview Rounds
4-step process with detailed breakdown for each round
HR/Recruiter Screen
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 background, motivations, and high-level management philosophy. Expect questions about your career aspirations, why you're interested in Atlassian, and your general approach to leading teams. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and the company.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Tell me about your background and why you're interested in this Software Engineering Manager role at Atlassian.
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
How do you stay updated with the latest trends in software engineering and management?
Describe your experience managing engineering teams.
What do you know about Atlassian's culture and values?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Technical Deep Dive & System Design
Assesses technical depth, system design skills, and ability to guide technical strategy.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and ability to guide technical direction. You'll likely be asked to discuss system design, architecture, scalability, and performance. Expect to dive deep into technical challenges you've faced and how you approached them. The interviewer will assess your ability to make sound technical judgments and guide your team towards robust solutions.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Design a system for [e.g., a real-time collaboration tool, a notification service, a distributed cache]. Discuss scalability, reliability, and trade-offs.
Describe a challenging technical problem you encountered and how you led your team to solve it.
How do you approach managing technical debt?
What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?
How would you ensure the quality and performance of a large-scale system?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
People Management Interview
Focuses on people management skills, coaching, conflict resolution, and team development.
This round focuses entirely on your people management capabilities. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to elicit specific examples of how you've managed teams, coached individuals, handled performance issues, and fostered a positive team culture. The interviewer wants to understand your philosophy and practical application of people leadership.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
Tell me about a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
How do you motivate your team, especially during challenging times?
Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict within your team. What was your approach?
How do you approach career development and mentorship for your team members?
Walk me through your process for hiring new engineers.
How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity on your team?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Hiring Manager / Director Interview
Focuses on strategic thinking, business alignment, and cross-functional collaboration with senior leadership.
In this final round, you'll meet with a senior leader to discuss your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align engineering efforts with company objectives. They will assess your understanding of the broader business context, your experience collaborating with other departments, and your potential to contribute at a higher leadership level. This is your chance to demonstrate your strategic vision and leadership impact.
What Interviewers Look For
Evaluation Criteria
Questions Asked
How do you ensure your team's work is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
Describe a time you had to influence senior leadership or other departments to adopt a particular technical strategy or roadmap.
How do you balance the needs of your team with the broader objectives of the organization?
What is your vision for a high-performing engineering team at Atlassian?
How do you measure the success of your team beyond just code delivery?
Preparation Tips
Common Reasons for Rejection
Commonly Asked DSA Questions
Frequently asked coding questions at Atlassian