Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL1Medium

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (SEM) position at Notion, focusing on leadership, technical acumen, people management, and strategic thinking. The L1 level indicates an entry-level management role, suitable for individuals transitioning from senior individual contributor roles or with limited prior management experience.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~14d

Experience·4 - 7 yrs

Comp band·US$140000 - US$180000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership potential and ability to inspire a team.
  • Technical depth and understanding of software development lifecycle.
  • People management skills, including coaching, feedback, and performance management.
  • Strategic thinking and ability to align team goals with company objectives.
  • Communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Understand Notion's mission, values, and product deeply.
  2. Review common software engineering management interview questions.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Familiarize yourself with agile development methodologies and best practices.
  5. Think about your leadership philosophy and how you motivate teams.
  6. Practice articulating your technical background and how it informs your management style.
  7. Research common challenges faced by engineering managers and how you would address them.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Foundation & Behavioral Prep

Weeks 1-2: Notion research, leadership fundamentals, STAR method prep.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Notion's company culture, values, product, and recent news. Understand the role of an SEM at Notion. Review fundamental software engineering principles and common architectural patterns. Begin preparing STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, conflict resolution, and team building.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you approach setting technical direction for a team?
  • Describe your process for hiring and onboarding new engineers.
  • How do you ensure your team is productive and motivated?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
  • How do you handle underperforming team members?
  • Tell me about a challenging project you managed and how you navigated it.
  • How do you balance the needs of individual developers with the goals of the team and company?
  • What is your experience with agile methodologies?
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team.
  • How do you stay current with technology trends?
  • What are your thoughts on code reviews and quality assurance?
  • How do you delegate tasks effectively?
  • What are your career aspirations?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-functional collaboration across different time zonesEffective communication in a distributed environment

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to align a distributed team on a technical vision.
  • What tools do you use to foster collaboration and transparency in a remote team?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with asynchronous communication tools.
  • Showcase your ability to build team culture remotely.
  • Be prepared to discuss strategies for managing performance and engagement across distances.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Notion.

Frequently reported on Notion loops

View all at Notion

Other guides

More at Notion.