# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** Lead Manager
**Company:** [Avito](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/avito)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Lead Software Engineering Manager position at Avito. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/avito/lead-manager-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Acumen
- People Management
- Strategic & Business Acumen
- Cultural Fit & Behavioral

## Questions asked

- Describe your leadership philosophy and how you motivate engineers.
- How do you handle underperforming team members?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult technical decision for your team.
- How do you balance delivering features with maintaining technical quality and managing technical debt?
- Describe your experience with hiring and building high-performing engineering teams.
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Walk me through a complex project you managed from inception to delivery.
- How do you prioritize competing demands and manage stakeholder expectations?
- What are your strategies for mentoring and developing engineers' careers?
- How do you handle conflict within your team or with other departments?
- Describe a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- How do you stay updated with the latest technologies and industry trends?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Review Avito's company values and mission.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Familiarize yourself with common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
- Research Avito's products, services, and recent news.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how it aligns with Avito's culture.
- Be ready to discuss your experience with scaling teams and managing complex projects.
- Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Foundation & Behavioral Preparation","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Avito's business, products, and engineering culture. Review core software engineering principles, agile methodologies, and common management frameworks (e.g., Situational Leadership, OKRs). Prepare STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, conflict resolution, and team building.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Avito research, management frameworks, STAR method practice."}
- {"title":"Technical Leadership & System Design","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on technical leadership and system design. Review distributed systems concepts, scalability challenges, and architectural patterns. Prepare to discuss how you would guide a team through technical decision-making and problem-solving. Practice articulating your approach to technical debt management and code quality.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Technical leadership, system design, scalability, technical debt."}
- {"title":"People Management & Strategy","longDescription":"Week 5: Concentrate on people management and strategic thinking. Prepare examples of performance reviews, career development discussions, hiring strategies, and conflict resolution. Think about how you set team goals, manage roadmaps, and align with broader business objectives. Practice articulating your vision for an engineering team.","shortDescription":"Week 5: People management, strategy, roadmap, hiring, conflict resolution."}
- {"title":"Final Preparation & Mock Interviews","longDescription":"Week 6: Mock interviews and final review. Conduct mock interviews focusing on all aspects covered. Refine your answers and ensure clarity and conciseness. Prepare thoughtful questions for the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 6: Mock interviews, final review, question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with managing geographically dispersed teams.","Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely.","Showcase your understanding of asynchronous communication best practices."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-cultural communication","Building team cohesion in a distributed setup"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.","What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration and communication in a remote or hybrid environment?"]}}
- {"location":"On-site","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize your experience in building strong team cultures within an office setting.","Provide examples of how you've facilitated in-person brainstorming and problem-solving sessions.","Discuss your strategies for managing office-based communication and collaboration tools."],"interviewFocus":["On-site team dynamics","Cross-functional collaboration","Driving in-person innovation"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster innovation within a co-located engineering team?","Describe your approach to managing stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced office environment.","How do you ensure alignment and collaboration between different departments within the office?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening Call
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess cultural fit and basic qualifications.
This initial screening call with HR aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Avito. They will discuss your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company culture and the specifics of the position. Expect questions about your management style, team experience, and why you're interested in Avito.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role; Basic understanding of management principles; Good communication and interpersonal skills; Alignment with Avito's core values
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication clarity; Cultural alignment; Initial understanding of the role and Avito's values
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear leadership vision; Inability to articulate management strategies; Poor communication skills; Failure to demonstrate empathy or understanding of team dynamics
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your experience as a manager.
- Why are you interested in Avito and this specific role?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
- How do you handle conflict within a team?

## Preparation tips

- Research Avito's mission, values, and recent news.
- Be prepared to talk about your career journey and why you're looking for a new opportunity.
- Practice articulating your management philosophy.
- Prepare questions about the company culture, team structure, and the role itself.

## Round 2: Technical Leadership Interview
**Type:** Technical & Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, system design, and strategic thinking.
This round focuses on your technical leadership and strategic thinking. You'll be asked to discuss your experience in managing engineering teams, making technical decisions, and driving architectural improvements. Expect questions about system design, scalability, performance optimization, and how you foster technical excellence within a team. You might also be asked to walk through a past project and explain the technical challenges and solutions.
**Interviewers look for:** Deep technical understanding; Ability to mentor and grow engineers technically; Strategic thinking regarding technology choices; Experience in managing technical challenges
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership capabilities; Problem-solving approach; System design and architecture understanding; Ability to guide technical direction
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic thinking; Inability to articulate technical vision; Poor delegation skills; Failure to demonstrate leadership potential
## Questions

- Describe a complex system you helped design or manage. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?
- How do you balance the need for new feature development with maintaining code quality and addressing technical debt?
- What is your approach to mentoring engineers and helping them grow their technical skills?
- How do you ensure your team stays up-to-date with relevant technologies and best practices?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Prepare to discuss your experience with scaling applications and managing technical debt.
- Think about how you foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation.
- Be ready to articulate your approach to technical decision-making and problem-solving.

## Round 3: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** People Management & Strategy Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, performance, and strategic alignment.
This interview with the hiring manager will delve deeper into your people management skills and strategic thinking. You'll discuss your experience in hiring, performance management, career development, and conflict resolution. The manager will assess how you build and lead teams, foster a positive work environment, and align your team's efforts with the company's overall business goals. Be prepared to share specific examples of your successes and challenges in managing people.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to manage and develop teams; Effective conflict resolution skills; Strong understanding of performance management; Ability to align team goals with business strategy; Empathy and strong interpersonal skills
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Performance management approach; Conflict resolution strategies; Team building and motivation techniques; Strategic alignment with business objectives
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to manage performance effectively; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of empathy; Failure to demonstrate strategic alignment with business goals
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming employee. What steps did you take, and what was the outcome?
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity within your team?
- Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member. How did you approach it?
- How do you prioritize your team's work when faced with competing demands from different stakeholders?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed examples of how you've managed performance, coached team members, and resolved conflicts.
- Think about your approach to hiring and building diverse teams.
- Be ready to discuss how you set team goals and measure success.
- Understand how your team's work contributes to the broader business objectives.

## Round 4: Senior Leadership Interview
**Type:** Executive / Senior Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Final discussion on strategic vision and leadership alignment with senior management.
In this final round, you'll meet with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Engineering) to discuss your strategic vision, leadership approach, and overall fit within Avito's senior management team. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to think at a high level, align with the company's long-term goals, and articulate your vision for the engineering organization. Expect questions about industry trends, organizational design, and your leadership philosophy at scale.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to think strategically and long-term; Alignment with Avito's overall business strategy; Strong leadership presence; Ability to influence and drive change at a higher level
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic vision and alignment; Executive presence; Cultural fit with senior leadership; High-level problem-solving
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with senior leadership vision; Inability to think at a strategic level; Poor cultural fit with senior management; Failure to demonstrate executive presence
## Questions

- What is your vision for a high-performing engineering organization at Avito in the next 3-5 years?
- How do you approach organizational design and scaling engineering teams?
- Describe a time you had to influence senior stakeholders or other departments to adopt a new technical or process change.
- What are the biggest challenges facing engineering leaders today, and how do you address them?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Avito's long-term business strategy and market position.
- Prepare to discuss your vision for scaling engineering teams and organizations.
- Think about how you influence and collaborate with other senior leaders.
- Be ready to articulate your leadership philosophy at an executive level.