# L
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** Manager
**Company:** [Expedia](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/expedia)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 7 - 15
**Timeline:** ~4 days
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.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/expedia/manager-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Leadership & Management
- Technical Acumen
- Execution & Business Impact
- Cultural Fit

## Questions 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?

## Preparation tips

### lists

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

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Leadership Foundation","longDescription":"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.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Business understanding, leadership principles, STAR examples."}
- {"title":"Technical Deep Dive","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into technical aspects. Review system design principles, scalability, cloud architecture, and DevOps practices. Consider common technical challenges faced by engineering managers. Practice articulating technical strategies and solutions.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System design, scalability, cloud, DevOps, technical strategy."}
- {"title":"Behavioral & Situational Mastery","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Focus on behavioral and situational questions. Refine your STAR method stories, ensuring they highlight leadership, problem-solving, and team management skills. Practice articulating your management philosophy and approach to people development. Prepare for questions about conflict resolution, performance management, and stakeholder management.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Behavioral questions, STAR method refinement, people management."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews & Final Prep","longDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews. Conduct mock interviews with peers or mentors, focusing on all aspects of the interview process. Get feedback on your communication, clarity, and the impact of your examples. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, feedback, question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"North America","differences":{"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."],"interviewFocus":["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."],"commonQuestions":["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?"]}}
- {"location":"Europe","differences":{"tips":["Showcase your ability to lead diverse teams and manage global projects.","Be prepared to discuss your experience with international markets and customer bases.","Highlight your understanding of global business strategy and how engineering contributes to it.","Emphasize your adaptability and experience in navigating different business environments."],"interviewFocus":["Focus on collaboration with global teams and understanding of international markets.","Questions may explore experience with diverse workforces and cultural integration.","Emphasis on strategic alignment with global business objectives.","Understanding of internationalization and localization challenges."],"commonQuestions":["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?"]}}
- {"location":"Asia-Pacific","differences":{"tips":["Demonstrate a strong understanding of business metrics and how engineering contributes to them.","Highlight your experience in scaling teams and systems in high-growth environments.","Be prepared to discuss your strategic vision for engineering within the APAC region.","Showcase your ability to adapt to diverse cultural and business practices."],"interviewFocus":["Emphasis on driving business impact through technology.","Questions may focus on experience with rapid growth and scaling challenges.","Understanding of the Asia-Pacific market and its unique opportunities.","Adaptability to fast-paced and evolving business environments."],"commonQuestions":["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?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening
**Type:** HR / Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess motivation, cultural fit, and basic qualifications.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit with Expedia's culture and values, your motivation for the role, and to cover basic logistical and compensation expectations. They will also provide an overview of the interview process.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for the role and Expedia.; Clear communication and articulation.; Basic understanding of leadership principles.; Cultural alignment indicators.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills.; Cultural alignment.; Understanding of Expedia's values.; Initial assessment of fit.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication.; Inability to provide specific examples of leadership.; Poor understanding of team dynamics or conflict resolution.; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking.; Not aligning with Expedia's values.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career aspirations.
- Why are you interested in Expedia and this specific role?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What do you know about Expedia's culture?

## Preparation tips

- Research Expedia's mission, vision, and values.
- Be prepared to talk about why you are interested in this specific role and company.
- Have a clear understanding of your salary expectations.
- Practice your elevator pitch about your career and leadership style.

## Round 2: Technical Leadership Interview
**Type:** Technical Deep Dive · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, system design, and architectural thinking.
This round focuses on your technical leadership capabilities. You'll be asked to discuss your experience with system design, architecture, scalability, and how you drive technical excellence within a team. Expect questions about past technical challenges and how you approached them.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong technical background and understanding.; Ability to design scalable and robust systems.; Strategic thinking regarding technology choices.; Experience in guiding technical teams.; Understanding of modern software development practices.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical leadership and vision.; System design and architecture.; Scalability and performance.; Problem-solving approach.; Ability to mentor technical staff.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to articulate technical vision or strategy.; Lack of depth in system design or architectural thinking.; Poor understanding of scaling principles.; Difficulty in explaining technical concepts clearly.; Not demonstrating leadership in technical decision-making.
## Questions

- Design a system for [specific Expedia product, e.g., flight search, hotel booking].
- How would you scale a service that is experiencing a sudden surge in traffic?
- Describe your approach to managing technical debt.
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures?
- How do you ensure the reliability and availability of your services?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles (e.g., scalability, availability, fault tolerance).
- Prepare to discuss your experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Think about how you've managed technical debt and ensured code quality.
- Be ready to whiteboard a system design or discuss architectural trade-offs.
- Familiarize yourself with common architectural patterns.

## Round 3: Leadership & People Management Interview
**Type:** Leadership & People Management · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates leadership, people management, and strategic alignment.
This interview focuses on your leadership and people management skills. You will be asked behavioral questions about how you lead, motivate, develop, and manage your teams, including handling conflicts, performance issues, and fostering a positive team culture. Strategic alignment with business goals will also be a key focus.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and motivate teams.; Experience in developing and mentoring engineers.; Effective conflict resolution strategies.; Understanding of how to align team goals with business objectives.; Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
**Evaluation criteria:** Leadership and people management.; Team building and development.; Conflict resolution.; Strategic thinking and business alignment.; Decision-making under pressure.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership impact.; Poor conflict resolution or people management skills.; Lack of strategic thinking or business acumen.; Difficulty in managing team performance or development.; Not demonstrating empathy or strong interpersonal skills.
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult team member. What was the situation and outcome?
- How do you foster career growth and development for your engineers?
- Describe a time you had to make a tough decision that affected your team. How did you handle it?
- How do you ensure your team's work is aligned with the company's strategic objectives?
- What is your approach to building a high-performing and inclusive team culture?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for leadership, team building, conflict resolution, and performance management.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you empower your team.
- Be ready to discuss how you set goals and measure success for your team.
- Consider how you foster innovation and a learning culture.
- Practice articulating your approach to difficult conversations.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager / Peer Interview
**Type:** Manager / Peer Interview · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Focuses on team dynamics, collaboration, and cultural fit with the hiring manager.
This round is often with your potential future manager or a peer engineering manager. It's a chance to discuss your leadership style in more detail, explore team dynamics, and ensure a good cultural and working relationship fit. It's also an opportunity for you to ask in-depth questions about the team, projects, and day-to-day responsibilities.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm and passion for Expedia's mission.; Collaborative spirit and ability to work with diverse teams.; Strong communication and interpersonal skills.; Alignment with Expedia's core values.; Thoughtful questions about the role and company.
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit and alignment with Expedia's values.; Collaboration and teamwork.; Communication and interpersonal skills.; Motivation and passion for the role.; Overall impression and potential contribution.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Expedia's values or culture.; Poor communication or inability to connect with the interviewer.; Not demonstrating a collaborative or team-oriented mindset.; Failure to articulate a clear vision or passion for the role.; Asking generic or uninspired questions.
## Questions

- How do you approach collaboration with other engineering managers?
- What are your expectations for a successful engineering manager at Expedia?
- Describe a time you had to influence a decision outside of your direct control.
- What are you passionate about in software engineering management?
- Do you have any questions for me about the team or the role?

## Preparation tips

- Reflect on your leadership style and how it aligns with Expedia's culture.
- Prepare questions that show your interest in the team's challenges and successes.
- Be ready to discuss how you collaborate with other managers and teams.
- Think about how you would contribute to the broader engineering organization.
- Show genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity.