This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L7) role at Deliveroo. It evaluates technical leadership, people management, strategic thinking, and execution capabilities.
Rounds·5
Timeline·~14d
Experience·8 - 15 yrs
Comp band·US$170000 - US$220000
Interview time·270 min
Evaluation
What they measure.
Technical depth and breadth
Problem-solving skills
System design and architecture understanding
Ability to mentor and grow engineers
Leadership and influence
People management skills
Team building and development
Conflict resolution
Performance management
Coaching and mentoring
Strategic thinking
Business acumen
Prioritization and planning
Execution and delivery
Adaptability and resilience
Communication skills
Collaboration
Stakeholder management
Cultural fit
Deliveroo values alignment
Preparation
How to prepare.
Tips
01Deeply understand Deliveroo's mission, values, and business strategy.
02Review common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
03Prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) examples for behavioral questions.
04Brush up on system design principles and scalability concepts.
05Familiarize yourself with agile methodologies and project management frameworks.
06Understand how to measure and improve team performance and engineering metrics.
07Research Deliveroo's engineering blog and recent company news.
08Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
09Be ready to discuss your approach to hiring, onboarding, and retaining talent.
10Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 03 phases
01 / 03
01
Phase 01 of 03
Foundation & Behavioral Preparation
Weeks 1-2: Deliveroo business & culture, core SWE principles, system design basics, management frameworks, behavioral prep (STAR).
Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Deliveroo's business, culture, and engineering challenges. Review core software engineering principles, data structures, algorithms, and system design fundamentals. Study common management frameworks and leadership theories. Prepare STAR examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, conflict resolution, and team building.
02
Phase 02 of 03
Technical Depth & People Management
Weeks 3-4: Advanced system design, scalability, distributed systems, people management strategies (hiring, performance, coaching).
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into system design and architecture, focusing on scalability, reliability, and distributed systems. Practice case studies and design problems relevant to e-commerce or food delivery platforms. Refine your approach to people management, including hiring, performance reviews, coaching, and career development. Prepare specific examples for these areas.
Week 5: Focus on strategic thinking, business acumen, and execution. Understand how to align engineering efforts with business goals, prioritize effectively, and drive projects to completion. Practice articulating your vision and strategy for a software engineering team. Prepare for questions about stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration. Conduct mock interviews.
Questions
Commonly asked.
Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult technical decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
Describe your approach to managing underperforming engineers.
How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?
Walk me through a challenging project you led from inception to delivery. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?
How do you mentor and develop the careers of your engineers?
Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team or with another team. How did you resolve it?
How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
What are your key metrics for measuring team success and productivity?
How do you stay current with new technologies and industry trends?
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
How do you handle competing priorities from different stakeholders?
Describe your experience with hiring and building high-performing engineering teams.
What is your philosophy on code reviews and quality assurance?
How do you delegate tasks effectively?
What are the biggest challenges facing software engineering managers today?
How would you onboard a new engineer into your team?
Describe a time you had to influence without direct authority.
How do you promote diversity and inclusion within your team?
What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you manage it?
Locations
Regional differences.
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02
Location
Remote/Hybrid
Interview focus
Remote team management strategiesCross-time zone collaborationBuilding trust and psychological safety in a distributed teamTools for remote collaboration and project managementCultural adaptation for distributed teams
Common questions
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 the key challenges and benefits of managing a distributed engineering team at Deliveroo?
How do you foster a strong team culture and collaboration in a hybrid or remote environment?
What tools and strategies do you use to ensure effective communication and project visibility with a distributed team?
Tips
Highlight experience with remote or hybrid team leadership.
Provide specific examples of how you've successfully managed distributed teams.
Showcase your understanding of the challenges and best practices for remote work.
Be prepared to discuss your approach to fostering team cohesion and engagement virtually.
Familiarize yourself with Deliveroo's approach to hybrid and remote work.
Location
London (Office-based)
Interview focus
On-site collaboration and communicationStakeholder management within a central hubDriving technical excellence in a co-located environmentCross-functional team integrationPerformance management in a traditional office setup
Common questions
How do you manage stakeholder expectations with engineering teams based in London?
Describe your experience working with product and design teams located in our main office.
How do you ensure alignment between engineering teams and business objectives in a central office environment?
What are your strategies for driving innovation and technical excellence within a co-located team?
How do you handle performance reviews and career development for engineers in a traditional office setting?
Tips
Emphasize your experience in managing teams within a physical office space.
Provide examples of successful collaboration with co-located product, design, and business teams.
Discuss your approach to fostering a positive and productive office environment.
Be ready to talk about how you leverage in-person interactions for team building and problem-solving.
Understand Deliveroo's office culture and how you would contribute to it.
Rounds
Round-by-round.
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
Med
HR Screening · 45 min · HR/Recruiter
This initial screening call with an HR representative or recruiter aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Deliveroo. They will discuss your background, motivations for applying, and high-level understanding of the Software Engineering Manager position. Expect questions about your career aspirations, why you're interested in Deliveroo, and your salary expectations. This is also an opportunity for you to ask initial questions about the company and the role.
What they look for
Clear and concise communicationAbility to explain technical concepts simplyLogical thinking processEnthusiasm for the role and companyAlignment with Deliveroo's values
Evaluation
Communication skills
Technical understanding
Problem-solving approach
Cultural fit
Sample questions
Tell me about yourself and your career progression.
BehavioralCareer
Why are you interested in Deliveroo and this specific role?
MotivationCompany Fit
What are your salary expectations?
Compensation
What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
BehavioralSelf-Awareness
Describe your ideal work environment.
Culture Fit
Prep for this round
01Research Deliveroo's mission, values, and recent news.
02Prepare a concise summary of your career journey and key achievements.
03Be ready to articulate why you are interested in this specific role and company.
04Have a clear understanding of your salary expectations.
05Prepare questions to ask the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.
Common rejection reasons
×Lack of clear communication
×Inability to articulate technical concepts effectively
×Poor understanding of system design principles
×Lack of experience in managing teams
×Inability to provide specific examples for behavioral questions
High
People Management & Leadership Interview · 60 min · Hiring Manager/Senior Engineering Manager
This round focuses on your people management and leadership capabilities. The interviewer, typically your potential direct manager or a senior engineering manager, will delve into your experience managing teams, developing talent, handling performance issues, and fostering a positive team culture. Expect behavioral questions that require you to share specific examples using the STAR method.
What they look for
Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor engineersClear vision for team growth and developmentSound judgment in decision-makingAbility to handle complex management scenariosProactive approach to team challenges
Evaluation
People management skills
Strategic thinking
Problem-solving ability
Leadership potential
Communication clarity
Sample questions
Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?
BehavioralPeople ManagementPerformance
How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and trust within your team?
BehavioralTeam CultureLeadership
Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
BehavioralConflict ResolutionTeam Dynamics
How do you approach career development and mentorship for your engineers?
People ManagementMentorshipCareer Growth
What is your strategy for hiring and onboarding new engineers?
HiringOnboardingTeam Building
How do you balance the needs of your team with the demands of the business?
Strategic ThinkingPrioritization
Prep for this round
01Prepare detailed STAR method examples for managing teams, conflict resolution, performance management, and career development.
02Think about your leadership philosophy and how you motivate engineers.
03Be ready to discuss how you build and scale engineering teams.
04Consider how you handle difficult conversations and feedback.
05Understand how to align team goals with broader business objectives.
Common rejection reasons
×Lack of strategic thinking
×Inability to articulate a clear vision for a team
×Poor understanding of people management principles
×Difficulty in providing concrete examples of leadership
×Weak problem-solving skills
High
Technical & System Design Interview · 60 min · Senior Engineer/Principal Engineer
This technical interview focuses on your system design, architecture, and technical leadership skills. You'll be asked to design a system or solve a complex technical problem, demonstrating your ability to think about scalability, reliability, performance, and maintainability. The interviewer will assess your technical depth and your ability to guide a team through technical challenges.
What they look for
Ability to design scalable and reliable systemsUnderstanding of trade-offs in technical decisionsKnowledge of distributed systems and cloud technologiesExperience with operational best practicesAbility to guide a team through complex technical challenges
Evaluation
System design and architecture
Technical depth
Scalability and performance considerations
Operational excellence
Problem-solving approach
Sample questions
Design a system for [e.g., a food delivery tracking system, an order management system].
System DesignArchitectureScalability
How would you ensure the scalability and reliability of a high-traffic e-commerce platform?
System DesignScalabilityReliability
Describe your experience with microservices architecture. What are the pros and cons?
ArchitectureMicroservicesDistributed Systems
How do you approach managing technical debt?
Technical DebtCode QualityManagement
What are your thoughts on CI/CD and DevOps practices?
DevOpsCI/CDOperations
How would you diagnose and resolve a performance bottleneck in a distributed system?
TroubleshootingPerformanceDistributed Systems
Prep for this round
01Review system design principles, common architectural patterns, and distributed systems concepts.
02Practice designing systems for scalability, availability, and fault tolerance.
03Familiarize yourself with cloud technologies (AWS, GCP, Azure) and their services.
04Understand database design, caching strategies, and message queues.
05Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design choices.
06Think about how you would guide your team in making technical decisions.
Common rejection reasons
×Weak technical design skills
×Inability to think about scalability and distributed systems
×Poor understanding of operational aspects
×Lack of strategic technical vision
×Difficulty in explaining technical trade-offs
High
Strategic & Leadership Interview · 60 min · Director/VP of Engineering
This interview with a senior leader (Director or VP of Engineering) assesses your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align engineering efforts with company goals. You'll discuss how you prioritize work, manage stakeholders, drive execution, and contribute to the overall engineering strategy. This is a high-level discussion about your impact and vision.
What they look for
Ability to think strategically about the engineering functionUnderstanding of business objectives and how engineering supports themEffective communication with non-technical stakeholdersStrong prioritization and decision-making skillsProven track record of delivering complex projects
Evaluation
Strategic thinking
Business acumen
Stakeholder management
Prioritization and planning
Execution and delivery
Sample questions
How do you align engineering priorities with business objectives?
StrategyBusiness AcumenAlignment
Describe a time you had to manage conflicting priorities from different business units.
BehavioralPrioritizationStakeholder Management
What is your approach to building and maintaining a strong engineering culture?
CultureLeadershipTeam Building
How do you measure the success of your engineering team and its impact on the business?
MetricsPerformanceBusiness Impact
What is your vision for the future of software engineering at Deliveroo?
VisionStrategyLeadership
How do you foster innovation within your team?
InnovationTeam Development
Prep for this round
01Understand Deliveroo's business model, market position, and strategic priorities.
02Think about how engineering can drive business value and innovation.
03Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed stakeholders and communicated with leadership.
04Practice articulating your vision for an engineering team and its contribution to the company.
05Be ready to discuss your approach to resource allocation and strategic planning.
Common rejection reasons
×Lack of strategic vision for the engineering function
×Inability to align engineering with business goals
×Poor stakeholder management skills
×Difficulty in prioritizing effectively
×Lack of experience in managing multiple teams or projects
Med
Cultural Fit & Collaboration Interview · 45 min · Peer Engineering Manager/Team Member
This round often involves meeting with potential peers or team members. The focus is on assessing your collaboration style, how you interact with others, and your overall cultural fit within Deliveroo. Expect questions about teamwork, collaboration, and how you handle different working styles. This is also a great opportunity for you to gauge the team dynamics and ask questions about day-to-day work.
What they look for
Demonstration of Deliveroo's core valuesAbility to collaborate effectivelyPositive attitude and enthusiasmGood communication and interpersonal skillsAlignment with the team's working style
Evaluation
Cultural fit
Collaboration skills
Problem-solving approach
Communication style
Alignment with Deliveroo's values
Sample questions
How do you approach collaboration with other engineering teams?
CollaborationTeamworkCross-functional
Describe a time you had a disagreement with a colleague. How did you resolve it?
BehavioralConflict ResolutionCollaboration
What do you value most in a team environment?
TeamworkCulture Fit
How do you give and receive feedback?
FeedbackCommunicationSelf-Improvement
What are your thoughts on pair programming or collaborative coding?
CollaborationTechnical Practices
Prep for this round
01Reflect on Deliveroo's company values and how your own values align.
02Prepare examples of successful collaboration and teamwork.
03Be ready to discuss how you handle disagreements and different perspectives.
04Showcase your ability to be a supportive and collaborative team member.
05Ask questions about team dynamics, collaboration tools, and day-to-day work.
