Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL7Hard

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L7) role 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, system design, behavioral interviews, and a final hiring manager interview.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth in software engineering principles.
  • Ability to design and architect scalable and reliable systems.
  • Problem-solving skills and analytical thinking.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Niantic's mission, values, and products.
  2. Review fundamental computer science concepts, data structures, and algorithms.
  3. Practice system design problems, focusing on scalability, reliability, and performance.
  4. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  5. Research common leadership and management frameworks.
  6. Understand Niantic's tech stack and be prepared to discuss relevant technologies.
  7. Network with current Niantic employees if possible to gain insights.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Technical Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: CS Fundamentals, DSA Practice (LeetCode Medium/Hard).

Weeks 1-2: Focus on foundational computer science concepts, data structures, and algorithms. Review common interview patterns and practice coding problems on platforms like LeetCode (Medium/Hard).

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your leadership philosophy.
  • How do you handle conflict within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn?
  • How do you prioritize tasks for your team?
  • Design a system for real-time location tracking for a game like Pokemon GO.
  • How do you foster innovation and psychological safety on your team?
  • What are your strategies for mentoring and developing engineers?
  • How do you manage performance issues?
  • Describe a time you had to influence a senior stakeholder.
  • How do you stay updated with new technologies?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

San Francisco

Interview focus

Emphasis on experience with AR/VR technologies and their application in game development.Understanding of Niantic's specific game development pipelines and tools.Cultural alignment with Niantic's values, particularly around real-world experiences and community building.

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers on your team?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and psychological safety?
  • What are your strategies for managing remote or distributed teams?
  • Tell me about a complex technical challenge you faced and how you led your team to solve it.

Tips

  • Research Niantic's current and past projects, especially those related to AR and location-based gaming.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with Unity or other relevant game development engines.
  • Highlight any experience you have in building and scaling live-service games.
  • Showcase your passion for creating engaging real-world experiences.

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.