Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL3High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L3) position at Niantic. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Niantic's collaborative and innovative environment. The process involves multiple rounds focusing on different aspects of the role.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~14d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$170000 - US$220000

Interview time·240 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth relevant to Niantic's product areas.
  • Ability to architect and design scalable and robust systems.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly research Niantic's products, mission, and values.
  2. Review common Software Engineering Manager interview questions, focusing on leadership, team building, and technical strategy.
  3. Prepare specific examples from your past experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
  4. Understand Niantic's approach to game development and augmented reality.
  5. Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team culture.
  6. Familiarize yourself with common challenges in managing software engineering teams and how you've overcome them.
  7. Practice articulating your technical vision and how it aligns with business objectives.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Company & Foundational Knowledge

Weeks 1-2: Research Niantic, AR tech, company culture. Review SE principles. Prepare STAR examples.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Niantic's history, current products (Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, etc.), AR technology, and company culture. Understand their business strategy and recent news. Review core software engineering principles and best practices relevant to mobile and AR development. Begin preparing STAR method examples for common leadership scenarios.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your experience managing software engineering teams. What is your leadership philosophy?
  • Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult team member or conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you prioritize tasks and manage your team's workload, especially when faced with competing demands?
  • Describe a challenging technical problem your team faced and how you guided them to a solution.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • What are your strategies for recruiting and retaining top engineering talent?
  • How do you measure the success of your team and your own performance as a manager?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you stay updated with the latest technologies and industry trends?
  • Why are you interested in Niantic and this specific role?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote/Distributed Teams

Interview focus

Remote team management and communication strategiesCross-cultural collaboration and understandingTools and techniques for effective remote project management

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to manage a conflict between team members working across different time zones.
  • What strategies do you use to foster team cohesion and collaboration in a distributed environment?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with distributed teams and asynchronous communication.
  • Be prepared to discuss specific tools and platforms used for remote collaboration.
  • Emphasize your ability to build trust and rapport virtually.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Niantic.

Frequently reported on Niantic loops

View all at Niantic

Other guides

More at Niantic.