The Software Engineering Manager (M80) interview at Atlassian is a comprehensive process designed to assess leadership potential, technical acumen, people management skills, and strategic thinking. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to lead teams, drive technical excellence, foster a positive culture, and contribute to Atlassian's mission.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~4d
Experience·8 - 15 yrs
Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000
Interview time·195 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Atlassian overview, products, values. Management frameworks (Agile, DevOps).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on Atlassian's history, products (Jira, Confluence, Trello, Bitbucket), company values, and recent news. Understand their business model and market position. Review common software engineering management frameworks and best practices, including Agile methodologies, DevOps, and CI/CD.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: People management (performance, career, conflict, hiring). STAR method practice.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into people management. Study topics like performance management, career development, coaching, conflict resolution, hiring, and building high-performing teams. Prepare behavioral examples using the STAR method for each of these areas.
Phase 03 of 04
Weeks 5-6: Technical strategy, system design, scalability, roadmap planning.
Weeks 5-6: Focus on technical leadership and strategy. Review system design principles, architectural patterns, scalability, reliability, and technical decision-making processes. Prepare to discuss your experience in technical strategy, roadmap planning, and managing technical debt.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 7: Mock interviews, refining answers, preparing questions.
Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on articulating your leadership philosophy, management style, and strategic thinking. Refine your answers to common interview questions and prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewers.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 03 locations
01 / 03Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Hiring Manager Interview · 45 min · Hiring Manager
This initial round focuses on assessing your foundational leadership and people management capabilities. The hiring manager will explore your experience in building and developing teams, managing performance, fostering a positive work environment, and handling common team challenges. Expect behavioral questions designed to understand your approach to people leadership.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Describe your approach to building a high-performing engineering team.
How do you handle underperforming team members?
Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Technical And Strategy Interview · 60 min · Senior Engineering Manager or Director
This round delves into your technical leadership and strategic thinking. You'll be asked to discuss your experience with system design, architecture, scaling, and technical decision-making. The interviewer will assess your ability to guide technical strategy, manage technical debt, and ensure the team is building robust and scalable solutions.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
How would you design a system for [specific problem, e.g., real-time notifications]?
Describe a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was your reasoning?
How do you ensure your team follows best practices in software development?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Cross-Functional Collaboration Interview · 45 min · Director of Engineering or Product Lead
This round assesses your ability to collaborate with stakeholders across different functions (e.g., Product Management, Design, other Engineering teams) and influence decision-making. You'll discuss how you align engineering efforts with business goals and communicate technical strategies to non-technical audiences.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
How do you collaborate with Product Managers to define roadmaps?
Describe a time you had to influence a decision made by stakeholders outside your team.
How do you ensure your team's work is aligned with the company's overall business objectives?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral And Cultural Fit Interview · 45 min · Senior Engineer or HR Representative
This round is designed to assess your cultural fit within Atlassian. Interviewers will explore your alignment with the company's values, your approach to collaboration, and your ability to adapt to change. Be prepared to share examples that demonstrate your personal values and how they resonate with Atlassian's culture.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
How do you embody collaboration in your daily work?
Describe a time you faced a significant setback. How did you respond?
What are you passionate about outside of work?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Atlassian loops
Other guides
