Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL5High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L5) 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, including HR screening, technical interviews, behavioral interviews, and a final hiring manager interview.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~21d

Experience·5 - 10 yrs

Comp band·US$170000 - US$220000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical proficiency and depth
  • Problem-solving abilities
  • System design and architecture understanding
  • Ability to mentor and grow engineers

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 using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Brush up on system design principles and be ready to discuss scaling challenges.
  5. Understand agile methodologies and how to apply them effectively.
  6. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team culture.
  7. Be prepared to discuss your experience managing engineers at different levels.
  8. Consider how you would approach common challenges like conflict resolution, performance management, and motivating a team.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Company & Technical Foundation

Weeks 1-2: Research Niantic, company culture, tech stack. Review CS fundamentals.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Niantic's products (e.g., Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite), company culture, and recent news. Understand their technology stack and business strategy. Review fundamental computer science concepts and data structures, focusing on areas relevant to large-scale distributed systems and mobile applications.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder relationship. How did you handle it?
  • Describe your approach to hiring and building a high-performing engineering team.
  • How do you mentor and develop engineers on your team?
  • Walk me through a complex system you designed or significantly contributed to. What were the trade-offs?
  • How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?
  • Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and psychological safety within your team?
  • What is your experience with agile development methodologies?
  • How do you handle underperformance on your team?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult technical decision. What was your process?
  • What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you manage it?
  • How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team does as well?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote/Hybrid

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-cultural communicationBuilding team cohesion in a distributed setting

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming team members in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.
  • What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration and communication in a remote or hybrid environment?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro).
  • Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely.
  • Showcase examples of successful cross-cultural team leadership.

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.