Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL8High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineering Manager (L8) role at Niantic. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within the company's collaborative and innovative environment.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·270 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth
  • Problem-solving and analytical skills
  • System design and architecture understanding
  • Ability to mentor and develop engineers

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly research Niantic's mission, values, and products (e.g., Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite).
  2. Understand the challenges and opportunities in the AR/location-based gaming space.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Review common software engineering management principles, including agile methodologies, team building, performance management, and technical debt.
  5. Brush up on system design concepts relevant to large-scale, distributed systems.
  6. Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive and productive team culture.
  7. Consider how you would approach scaling teams and processes at Niantic.
  8. Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Company & Management Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Niantic research, management principles, agile methodologies.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Niantic's company culture, values, and product portfolio. Understand their business strategy and market position. Review core software engineering management principles, focusing on team dynamics, motivation, and performance management. Study agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and their practical application.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your leadership philosophy and how you build and motivate high-performing engineering teams.
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant technical challenge or project failure. What did you learn?
  • How do you approach performance management, including giving feedback and handling underperformance?
  • Describe a situation where you had to resolve a conflict within your team or with another team.
  • How do you balance the need for innovation with the demands of delivering on project roadmaps?
  • Walk me through your process for hiring and onboarding new engineers.
  • How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is adopting relevant practices?
  • Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders or senior leadership to adopt a particular technical direction or strategy.
  • What are your strategies for fostering a diverse and inclusive team environment?
  • How do you prioritize work and manage competing demands for your team's resources?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.
  • What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you manage it?
  • How do you delegate tasks effectively and empower your team members?
  • What are your expectations for an L8 Software Engineering Manager at Niantic?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote/Hybrid

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-cultural communication and collaborationBuilding trust and engagement in distributed teams

Common questions

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

Tips

  • Highlight experience with distributed teams and asynchronous communication tools.
  • Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity remotely.
  • Showcase your ability to adapt management styles to different cultural contexts.

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.