L

Software Engineering ManagerManagerHigh

Expedia is looking for experienced Software Engineering Managers to lead high-performing teams in building innovative travel solutions. This interview process assesses leadership capabilities, technical depth, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Expedia's collaborative environment.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~4d

Experience·7 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·210 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership presence and ability to inspire teams.
  • Strategic thinking and business acumen.
  • Technical depth and understanding of software development lifecycle.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
  • Communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Team building and people development capabilities.
  • Cultural alignment with Expedia's values.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Expedia's mission, values, and business strategy.
  2. Review common leadership and management frameworks (e.g., Situational Leadership, Situational Team Leadership).
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Brush up on system design principles and scalability concepts relevant to large-scale applications.
  5. Familiarize yourself with agile methodologies and your experience implementing them.
  6. Think about your leadership philosophy and how you develop and mentor engineers.
  7. Understand Expedia's product offerings and the travel industry landscape.
  8. Practice articulating your technical vision and how it aligns with business goals.
  9. Be ready to discuss your experience managing budgets, resources, and cross-functional relationships.
  10. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers that demonstrate your engagement and strategic thinking.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Company & Leadership Foundation

Weeks 1-2: Business understanding, leadership principles, STAR examples.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Expedia's business, products, and strategic goals. Research the company's recent performance, industry trends, and competitive landscape. Begin reviewing core leadership principles and management theories. Start brainstorming key career achievements and potential STAR method examples.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you foster innovation and creativity within an engineering team?
  • Tell me about a challenging project you managed from inception to completion.
  • How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?
  • What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent?
  • How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
  • Describe your experience with agile methodologies and how you adapt them to your team's needs.
  • How do you handle underperforming team members?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?
  • How do you manage cross-functional collaboration with product and design teams?
  • Describe your approach to performance management and career development for engineers.
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders without direct authority.
  • How do you prioritize competing demands and manage project timelines effectively?
  • What is your philosophy on building a strong team culture?
  • How do you delegate tasks and empower your team members?
  • Describe a situation where you had to pivot your team's strategy due to market changes.
  • How do you ensure the quality and scalability of the software your team produces?
  • Tell me about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
  • How do you foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement?
  • How do you drive technical excellence and innovation within your team?
  • Describe your experience with scaling engineering teams and processes.
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant technical challenge or outage.
  • How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusion?
  • What are your strategies for effective communication with both technical and non-technical audiences?
  • How do you approach budgeting and resource allocation for your team?
  • Describe your experience with different software development methodologies and when to apply them.
  • How do you mentor and develop aspiring engineering leaders?
  • Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member.
  • How do you ensure your team's work aligns with Expedia's brand and customer experience?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

North America

Interview focus

Emphasis on managing distributed or remote teams.Questions may probe understanding of local market dynamics and talent pools.Cultural nuances and how they impact team collaboration.Specific regulatory or compliance considerations relevant to the region.

Common questions

  • Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you foster innovation and creativity within an engineering team?
  • Tell me about a challenging project you managed from inception to completion.
  • How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?
  • What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent?
  • How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
  • Describe your experience with agile methodologies and how you adapt them to your team's needs.
  • How do you handle underperforming team members?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?

Tips

  • Research Expedia's presence and initiatives in this specific region.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience managing teams across different time zones and cultures.
  • Highlight any experience working with local stakeholders or partners.
  • Understand the competitive landscape for engineering talent in this location.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.

DSA

Coding questions at Expedia.

Frequently reported on Expedia loops

Other guides

More at Expedia.