# Manager 2
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** L6
**Company:** [Deliveroo](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/deliveroo)
**Difficulty:** Hard
**Salary:** US$150000 - US$200000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L6) role at Deliveroo. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/deliveroo/l6-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

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

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you balance the need for speed with the importance of code quality and technical excellence?
- Describe your approach to hiring and building a diverse and inclusive engineering team.
- How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement within your team?
- Walk me through a challenging project you managed. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?
- How do you handle underperforming engineers?
- What is your strategy for managing technical debt?
- How do you align your team's work with the broader business objectives?
- Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly review your past projects and identify key leadership challenges and successes.
- Understand Deliveroo's mission, values, and recent business developments.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Familiarize yourself with common software engineering management best practices.
- Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
- Research common interview questions for engineering managers.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Career Review","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Deliveroo's business, products, and engineering culture. Review your career history, focusing on leadership achievements, team growth, and project successes. Prepare STAR stories for common management scenarios (e.g., conflict resolution, performance improvement, strategic planning).","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Research Deliveroo, review career history, prepare STAR stories."}
- {"title":"People Management Fundamentals","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on people management principles. Study topics like coaching, mentoring, performance reviews, hiring best practices, and fostering psychological safety. Practice articulating your approach to building and leading high-performing teams.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Study people management, coaching, hiring, team building."}
- {"title":"Technical Leadership & Strategy","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Refresh your understanding of software development lifecycle, agile methodologies, system design principles, and technical debt management. Be prepared to discuss technical strategy and how you guide engineering teams through technical challenges.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Review SDLC, Agile, System Design, Technical Strategy."}
- {"title":"Interview Practice & Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on behavioral questions, situational judgment, and articulating your leadership vision. Refine your answers and ensure they align with Deliveroo's values and the L6 expectations.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refine answers, focus on behavioral and situational questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"London","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with distributed teams and asynchronous communication.","Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely.","Showcase your understanding of global team dynamics and cultural nuances."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote/hybrid management styles","Cross-cultural communication and collaboration","Building trust and engagement in distributed teams"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to manage a conflict between engineers working across different time zones.","What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration in a hybrid work environment?"]}}
- {"location":"Singapore","differences":{"tips":["Emphasize experience in scaling engineering teams and processes.","Provide examples of successful international project delivery.","Demonstrate an understanding of market-specific challenges and opportunities."],"interviewFocus":["Scaling teams in diverse markets","Managing cross-functional and cross-cultural teams","Strategic planning for international growth"],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure alignment and effective communication within a geographically dispersed team?","Describe your experience managing teams with varying levels of technical expertise and cultural backgrounds.","What are the key challenges and opportunities of managing engineering teams in a fast-growing market like Asia?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening Call
**Type:** HR Screening · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 30 min
HR screens for motivation, cultural fit, and basic qualifications.
This initial round is conducted by an HR representative or recruiter to assess your overall fit for the role and Deliveroo. They will explore your career history, motivations, and understanding of the position. It's an opportunity to learn more about the company culture and the specifics of the role.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Deliveroo; Clear communication; Basic understanding of the role and management principles; Alignment with company values
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural alignment; Motivation for the role and Deliveroo; Understanding of the role
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to provide specific examples; Poor cultural fit; Lack of enthusiasm or engagement
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career progression.
- Why are you interested in Deliveroo and this specific role?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
- Describe a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder.

## Preparation tips

- Research Deliveroo's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare to talk about your career journey and why you're interested in this specific role.
- Be ready to answer behavioral questions using the STAR method.
- Have questions prepared for the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: Technical Deep Dive & System Design
**Type:** Technical & System Design · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, system design, and problem-solving skills.
This round focuses on your technical leadership and system design capabilities. You'll be asked to discuss your experience with architectural decisions, scaling systems, and managing technical challenges. Expect questions that probe your understanding of distributed systems, performance optimization, and technical strategy.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong technical background; Ability to think critically and solve complex problems; Experience in designing scalable and reliable systems; Understanding of software development best practices
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership capabilities; System design and architecture knowledge; Problem-solving approach; Ability to guide technical decisions
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of technical depth; Inability to articulate technical strategy; Poor problem-solving skills; Weak system design understanding
## Questions

- Design a system for [e.g., food delivery order tracking].
- How would you approach migrating a monolithic application to microservices?
- Describe a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was your reasoning?
- How do you ensure the performance and reliability of the systems your team builds?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles for scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
- Practice designing common systems (e.g., ride-sharing app, social media feed).
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- Think about how you manage technical debt and promote code quality.

## Round 3: People Management & Leadership Interview
**Type:** Managerial & Behavioral · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, leadership, and strategic thinking.
This interview focuses on your people management philosophy and experience. You'll discuss how you build, lead, and develop engineering teams. Expect questions about hiring, performance management, conflict resolution, delegation, and fostering a positive team culture. Strategic thinking and alignment with business goals will also be assessed.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and mentor engineers; Experience in performance management and career development; Strategic vision for engineering teams; Effective communication and conflict resolution skills
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Leadership effectiveness; Strategic thinking and planning; Team building and development
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of people management; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of strategic thinking; Difficulty in delegating tasks
## Questions

- Describe your leadership philosophy.
- How do you handle underperforming engineers on your team?
- Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
- How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?
- What is your approach to career development for your engineers?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare examples of how you've coached and mentored engineers.
- Think about your approach to performance reviews and addressing underperformance.
- Be ready to discuss how you foster collaboration and psychological safety.
- Consider how you align team goals with company objectives.

## Round 4: Cross-functional Collaboration Interview
**Type:** Cross-functional Collaboration · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses collaboration, communication, and cultural fit with peers.
This round involves meeting with a peer Engineering Manager or a lead from a cross-functional team (e.g., Product, Design). The focus is on your ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and contribute to a positive team environment. You'll discuss how you work with other teams to achieve shared goals.
**Interviewers look for:** How you collaborate with peers and stakeholders; Your ability to influence and drive change; Your understanding of Deliveroo's values; Your approach to cross-functional collaboration
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural alignment; Collaboration skills; Communication effectiveness; Problem-solving approach in a team context
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with company culture; Poor communication or collaboration skills; Inability to articulate a clear vision; Not a good cultural or team fit
## Questions

- Describe a time you had a disagreement with a peer manager. How did you resolve it?
- How do you ensure alignment between engineering and product roadmaps?
- What is your approach to giving and receiving feedback?
- How do you contribute to a positive team culture?

## Preparation tips

- Think about how you build relationships with peers and stakeholders.
- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional collaboration.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle disagreements with peers.
- Understand Deliveroo's approach to cross-functional work.

## Round 5: Executive Leadership Interview
**Type:** Executive/Final Interview · **Difficulty:** Hard · **Duration:** 45 min
Final discussion with senior leadership on vision and strategic alignment.
This final round is with a senior engineering leader, often a VP or Director. The focus is on your strategic thinking, leadership vision, and overall fit with the company's direction. You'll discuss your long-term plans for an engineering team and how you align with Deliveroo's business objectives.
**Interviewers look for:** A clear vision for the engineering team; Strategic thinking and business acumen; Ability to influence and inspire; Alignment with Deliveroo's long-term goals
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and vision; Leadership presence; Alignment with company goals; Cultural fit with senior leadership
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision; Poor alignment with company leadership; Inability to articulate a compelling vision for the team; Not a strong cultural fit with senior leadership
## Questions

- What is your vision for an engineering team at Deliveroo in the next 2-3 years?
- How would you approach scaling an engineering team to meet business growth?
- What are the biggest challenges facing engineering leaders today, and how do you address them?
- How do you ensure your team's work has a significant impact on the business?

## Preparation tips

- Develop a clear vision for an engineering team at Deliveroo.
- Understand Deliveroo's strategic priorities and how engineering contributes.
- Be prepared to discuss your leadership philosophy at a high level.
- Articulate how you would drive innovation and growth.