This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Senior Director, Software Engineering Manager role at Expedia. It evaluates technical leadership, people management, strategic thinking, and execution capabilities.
Rounds·4
Timeline·~4d
Experience·10 - 15 yrs
Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000
Interview time·210 min
Evaluation
Preparation
Tips
Study plan
Fig · Study plan — 04 phases
01 / 04Phase 01 of 04
Weeks 1-2: Business understanding, career review, STAR stories, system design basics.
Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Expedia's business, products, and strategic goals. Review your career history and identify key leadership experiences. Prepare STAR-method stories for common leadership and management scenarios. Study system design fundamentals and common architectural patterns.
Phase 02 of 04
Weeks 3-4: People management, leadership philosophy, advanced system design, team dynamics.
Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into people management strategies, including hiring, performance management, team building, and conflict resolution. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy. Review advanced system design concepts, scalability challenges, and distributed systems. Prepare for behavioral questions related to team dynamics and people development.
Phase 03 of 04
Week 5: Strategy, product lifecycle, stakeholder influence, engineering vision.
Week 5: Focus on strategic thinking, product development lifecycle, and cross-functional collaboration. Prepare examples of how you've influenced stakeholders and driven technical strategy. Practice articulating your vision for engineering teams. Review case studies related to managing engineering organizations and driving innovation.
Phase 04 of 04
Week 6: Mock interviews, feedback, final review.
Week 6: Mock interviews focusing on all aspects of the role. Refine your answers and ensure clarity and conciseness. Get feedback from peers or mentors. Final review of key concepts and preparation for specific interview rounds.
Questions
Locations
Fig · Regions — 02 locations
01 / 02Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Location
Interview focus
Common questions
Tips
Rounds
Expand a step for evaluation criteria, sample questions, and prep notes.
People Leadership & Strategy · 60 min · VP of Engineering / Senior Director
This round focuses on your overall leadership philosophy, experience in building and managing high-performing engineering teams, and your ability to set strategic direction. You will be asked behavioral questions to assess your people management skills, conflict resolution abilities, and how you foster a positive and productive engineering culture. The interviewer will also probe your strategic thinking and how you align technology initiatives with broader business objectives.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Describe your approach to building and scaling engineering teams.
Tell me about a time you had to make a significant change to your team's structure or processes. What was the impact?
How do you balance innovation with operational stability?
What are your key principles for effective communication with your team and stakeholders?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
System Design & Technical Deep Dive · 60 min · Principal Engineer / Staff Engineer
This round is a deep dive into your technical expertise, focusing on system design, architecture, and your ability to lead technical initiatives. You will be presented with a complex problem and asked to design a solution, discussing trade-offs, scalability, and potential challenges. The interviewer will assess your understanding of distributed systems, databases, networking, and other relevant technical areas.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Design a system for [e.g., a ride-sharing service, a social media feed, an e-commerce platform]. Discuss scalability, availability, and data consistency.
How would you handle a sudden surge in traffic for our core services?
Discuss the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases for a specific application.
Explain how you would ensure the reliability and fault tolerance of a distributed system.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Product & Strategy Alignment · 45 min · Director of Product Management / Senior Product Lead
This interview focuses on your ability to collaborate with product management, define technical strategy, and drive the execution of product roadmaps. You'll discuss how you work with product teams, your understanding of the product development lifecycle, and how you ensure technical solutions meet business needs. The interviewer will assess your ability to translate business requirements into technical plans and deliver successful products.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
How do you partner with Product Management to define and execute a technical roadmap?
Describe your experience with the full software development lifecycle, from ideation to launch and maintenance.
How do you ensure that technical decisions align with product goals and user needs?
Tell me about a time you had to manage scope creep or changing requirements on a project.
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
Behavioral & Cultural Fit · 45 min · Hiring Manager / HR Business Partner
This final round is typically with the hiring manager or a senior HR representative. It's an opportunity to discuss your career aspirations, understand the team's dynamics, and ensure a good cultural fit. You'll be asked questions about your motivations, how you handle challenges, and what you're looking for in your next role. This is also your chance to ask any remaining questions about the role, team, or company culture.
What they look for
Evaluation
Sample questions
Why are you interested in this role at Expedia?
What are your long-term career goals?
How do you handle ambiguity or uncertainty in your work?
What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
Prep for this round
Common rejection reasons
DSA
Frequently reported on Expedia loops
Other guides
