Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerVPVery High

Expedia is looking for a seasoned Software Engineering Manager at the VP level to lead and inspire a team of talented engineers. This role is critical in driving technical strategy, fostering innovation, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality software solutions that impact millions of travelers worldwide. The ideal candidate will possess a strong blend of technical expertise, leadership acumen, and a deep understanding of the travel industry.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~6d

Experience·10 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership effectiveness and ability to inspire and motivate teams.
  • Strategic thinking and ability to align technology with business objectives.
  • Technical depth and understanding of complex systems.
  • Execution excellence and ability to deliver results.
  • People development and talent management skills.
  • Communication and stakeholder management abilities.
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Expedia's values.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Expedia's mission, values, and business strategy, particularly within the travel industry.
  2. Review your past projects and identify key leadership challenges, technical decisions, and their outcomes.
  3. Prepare to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you build and develop high-performing engineering teams.
  4. Brush up on system design principles, scalability, and distributed systems, especially as they relate to large-scale consumer platforms.
  5. Familiarize yourself with common software engineering management frameworks and best practices.
  6. Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially when discussing complex technical or leadership scenarios.
  7. Research current trends in travel technology and how they might impact Expedia's future.
  8. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers that demonstrate your strategic thinking and interest in the role and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 03 phases

01 / 03
01

Phase 01 of 03

Foundation & Self-Assessment

Weeks 1-2: Expedia Business & Strategy, Leadership Philosophy, System Design Fundamentals.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Expedia's business, market position, and strategic goals. Understand their product offerings and customer base. Review your career history, identifying key leadership achievements and challenges. Focus on articulating your leadership philosophy and management style. Begin reviewing core system design principles and distributed systems concepts.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your experience leading engineering teams through periods of significant growth or change.
  • How do you balance the need for rapid feature development with maintaining system stability and reducing technical debt?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?
  • What is your approach to fostering innovation and encouraging experimentation within your engineering teams?
  • How do you identify and develop high-potential engineers and future leaders?
  • Describe a complex technical problem you solved as a leader. What was your role, and what was the impact?
  • How do you ensure your team's work is aligned with the company's overall business objectives?
  • What are your strategies for managing remote or distributed engineering teams effectively?
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team or between teams. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and assess their potential value for the organization?
  • Describe your experience with budget management and resource allocation for engineering departments.
  • How do you foster a culture of accountability and high performance within your teams?
  • What are the key metrics you use to measure the success and health of your engineering teams?
  • Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it, and how did it change your approach?
  • How do you approach performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to your direct reports?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Seattle, USA

Interview focus

Deep understanding of distributed systems and microservices architecture relevant to travel platforms.Experience with cloud-native technologies (AWS, Azure, GCP) and their application in scaling large-scale systems.Proven ability to manage and mentor senior engineers and technical leads.Strategic thinking around technology adoption and its impact on business goals.Financial acumen and experience in managing engineering budgets and resource allocation.

Common questions

  • How do you handle a major production incident impacting a critical customer-facing feature in a distributed system?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between technical debt and feature delivery. What was your process and outcome?
  • How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning within your engineering teams?
  • In a rapidly evolving market like travel, how do you ensure your team's technical roadmap remains agile and responsive to business needs?
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant budget for your team or department. What were your key considerations and how did you ensure ROI?

Tips

  • Be prepared to discuss specific examples of large-scale system design and operational challenges you've overcome.
  • Highlight your experience in building and scaling high-performing engineering teams.
  • Emphasize your strategic approach to technology roadmapping and innovation.
  • Showcase your understanding of financial management and its intersection with engineering decisions.
  • Research Expedia's current technology stack and recent product launches to tailor your answers.

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

View all at Expedia

Other guides

More at Expedia.