# Manager I
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** M2
**Company:** [Databricks](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/databricks)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~21 days
The Software Engineering Manager (Manager I, M2) interview at Databricks is a comprehensive process designed to assess a candidate's technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit. It typically involves multiple rounds, including HR screening, technical interviews, behavioral interviews, and a final hiring manager interview. The goal is to identify individuals who can effectively lead engineering teams, drive technical projects, and contribute to Databricks' innovative culture.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/databricks/m2-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Acumen
- People Management & Leadership
- Strategic & Business Acumen
- Cultural Fit & Communication

## Questions asked

- Tell me about your experience leading and mentoring software engineers.
- How do you handle performance issues within your team?
- Describe a challenging project you managed and how you overcame obstacles.
- How do you prioritize tasks and manage competing demands?
- What is your approach to fostering innovation and creativity within an engineering team?
- How do you ensure the quality and scalability of the software your team produces?
- Describe a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member.
- How do you stay current with technological advancements relevant to your field?
- What are your strategies for effective cross-functional collaboration?
- Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
- How do you approach technical decision-making and architectural design?
- What are your thoughts on building and scaling distributed systems?
- How do you manage stakeholder expectations?
- Describe your experience with agile development methodologies.
- What motivates you as a leader?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review Databricks' products, mission, and values.
- Understand the company's competitive landscape and recent news.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Brush up on system design principles and common architectural patterns.
- Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely.
- Research common interview questions for Software Engineering Managers.
- Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.
- Understand the Databricks culture and how your experience aligns with it.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Technical Foundation","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Databricks' core technologies (Spark, Delta Lake, MLflow) and their applications. Understand the company's history, mission, and values. Review common system design concepts and practice case studies related to distributed systems and data processing. Focus on understanding the M2 level expectations for a Software Engineering Manager.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Databricks tech stack, system design fundamentals, M2 expectations."}
- {"title":"Leadership & Behavioral Skills","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management and leadership skills. Prepare examples using the STAR method for common behavioral questions related to team building, conflict resolution, performance management, and strategic decision-making. Study leadership theories and best practices for managing engineering teams.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management, leadership, STAR method for behavioral questions."}
- {"title":"Practice & Refinement","longDescription":"Week 5: Practice mock interviews, focusing on both technical and behavioral aspects. Refine your answers and ensure they are concise and impactful. Prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture. Review any specific areas identified as weaknesses during practice.","shortDescription":"Week 5: Mock interviews, question preparation, final review."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"San Francisco Bay Area","differences":{"tips":["Research the specific office culture and any local engineering initiatives.","Be prepared to discuss your experience managing remote or hybrid teams if applicable to the location.","Understand the competitive landscape for engineering talent in the specific region."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on understanding local market talent pool and compensation benchmarks.","Potential for questions related to specific regional engineering challenges or opportunities.","Assessment of how the candidate would integrate into the specific office culture and collaborate with local teams."],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming engineers in your team?","Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.","How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement?","What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent?","How do you balance technical debt with new feature development?","Tell me about a time you disagreed with a senior leader. How did you handle it?","How do you measure the success of your team and your own performance?","Describe your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and distributed systems.","How do you approach performance reviews and career development for your engineers?","What are your thoughts on agile methodologies and how do you implement them?"]}}
- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Highlight your experience managing remote or hybrid teams.","Be prepared to discuss your strategies for fostering collaboration and communication in a distributed setting.","Showcase your ability to adapt to different working styles and cultural nuances."],"interviewFocus":["Strong focus on experience with remote team management and distributed collaboration tools.","Assessment of ability to build and maintain team culture in a virtual environment.","Evaluation of strategic thinking regarding scaling engineering operations globally."],"commonQuestions":["How do you manage distributed teams across different time zones?","Describe your experience with scaling engineering teams in a high-growth environment.","How do you ensure effective communication and collaboration within a remote team?","What are your strategies for building team cohesion and morale remotely?","How do you handle conflict resolution in a virtual setting?","Tell me about a time you had to adapt your leadership style to a new environment.","What are your thoughts on the future of remote work in software engineering?","How do you stay updated on the latest trends in cloud computing and big data?","Describe a project where you had to influence stakeholders without direct authority.","How do you delegate tasks effectively to ensure team productivity?"]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter Screen
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 30 min
Initial screening by HR to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit for the role and Databricks. They will review your resume, discuss your career aspirations, and provide an overview of the company and the interview process. This is also an opportunity for you to ask initial questions about the role and the company.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and Databricks.; Clear communication.; Basic alignment with company values.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills.; Cultural alignment.; Basic understanding of the role and company.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication.; Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions.; Insufficient experience in people management.; Poor cultural fit.; Lack of strategic thinking.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your background.
- Why are you interested in this role at Databricks?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What do you know about Databricks?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?

## Preparation tips

- Be prepared to talk about your resume and career goals.
- Research Databricks' mission, values, and products.
- Have questions ready about the company culture, the role, and the interview process.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive
**Type:** Technical Interview / System Design · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
In-depth technical assessment focusing on system design and distributed systems.
This round focuses on your technical expertise, particularly in areas relevant to Databricks' platform. You will likely be asked to discuss your experience with distributed systems, data engineering, and software architecture. Expect system design questions where you'll need to design a scalable system, and potentially coding challenges or deep dives into past projects.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of distributed systems and data processing.; Ability to design scalable and reliable systems.; Clear articulation of technical trade-offs.; Leadership in technical decision-making.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth.; System design and architectural skills.; Problem-solving abilities.; Ability to lead technical discussions.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate technical decisions clearly.; Lack of depth in system design or architectural understanding.; Difficulty in problem-solving.; Not demonstrating leadership potential in technical discussions.
## Questions

- Design a distributed caching system.
- How would you design a real-time data processing pipeline?
- Discuss the trade-offs between different database technologies for a large-scale application.
- Explain the architecture of a system you previously worked on.
- How would you optimize a slow-running Spark job?

## Preparation tips

- Review distributed systems concepts (e.g., Spark, Kafka, distributed databases).
- Practice system design problems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and performance.
- Be prepared to discuss your past technical projects in detail, including challenges and solutions.
- Brush up on data structures and algorithms if coding is expected.

## Round 3: Management & Leadership Interview
**Type:** Behavioral / People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Focus on people management, leadership, and behavioral competencies.
This round assesses your people management and leadership skills. You'll be asked behavioral questions designed to understand how you lead teams, manage performance, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive work environment. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method to illustrate your experience.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to manage and grow engineering teams.; Effective communication and interpersonal skills.; Experience in mentoring and coaching engineers.; Ability to handle difficult conversations and manage performance.; Strategic vision for team development.
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills.; Leadership capabilities.; Conflict resolution.; Strategic thinking.; Team building and motivation.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear examples for leadership scenarios.; Difficulty in articulating management philosophy.; Poor conflict resolution skills.; Inability to demonstrate strategic thinking.; Not showing empathy or understanding of team dynamics.
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
- How do you motivate your team during challenging times?
- Tell me about a conflict you had within your team and how you resolved it.
- How do you approach career development and mentorship for your engineers?
- Describe your process for hiring new engineers.

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios (e.g., hiring, firing, performance reviews, conflict resolution, motivating teams).
- Think about your management philosophy and leadership style.
- Be ready to discuss how you develop engineers and manage their careers.
- Consider how you foster diversity and inclusion within your team.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Conversation
**Type:** Hiring Manager Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Final discussion with the hiring manager to assess strategic fit and leadership vision.
This is typically the final round with the hiring manager or a senior leader. The focus is on your overall fit for the role, your strategic thinking, and your vision for leading a team at Databricks. They will assess your ability to align your team's work with the company's broader goals and your potential to grow into a senior leadership position. Be prepared to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you would contribute to Databricks' success.
**Interviewers look for:** A clear vision for leading an engineering team at Databricks.; Ability to connect team's work to business objectives.; Strong leadership presence and communication.; Cultural alignment and potential to grow within the company.
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and planning.; Alignment with Databricks' business goals.; Leadership vision.; Overall fit for the Manager I (M2) role.; Communication and influence skills.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision.; Poor alignment with company goals.; Inability to articulate a clear plan for the team.; Not demonstrating strong leadership potential.; Weak communication or interpersonal skills.
## Questions

- What is your vision for leading an engineering team at Databricks?
- How would you prioritize projects for your team to align with company objectives?
- Describe a time you had to influence senior leadership to adopt your technical strategy.
- What are the key challenges you anticipate in this role, and how would you address them?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

## Preparation tips

- Reiterate your understanding of Databricks' strategy and how your team would contribute.
- Prepare a high-level vision for the team you would manage.
- Think about how you would measure success for your team and yourself.
- Be ready to discuss your long-term career aspirations.
- Ask insightful questions that demonstrate your strategic thinking.