# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** L2
**Company:** [Notion](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/notion)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$170000 - US$220000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L2) position at Notion. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Notion's collaborative and fast-paced environment.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/notion/l2-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Acumen
- People Management
- Strategic & Business Acumen
- Cultural Fit & Communication

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder relationship. How did you handle it?
- Describe your approach to setting and tracking team goals and KPIs.
- How do you balance the need for rapid feature development with maintaining code quality and reducing technical debt?
- Walk me through a challenging project you managed from inception to delivery. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning within your team?
- Describe a time you had to make a significant technical decision with incomplete information. What was your process?
- How do you identify and develop high-potential engineers on your team?
- What is your experience with agile methodologies, and how do you adapt them to your team's needs?
- How do you handle underperformance on your team?
- Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news to your team. How did you approach it?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Deeply understand Notion's mission, values, and product.
- Review common software engineering management interview questions, focusing on behavioral and situational scenarios.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for each core competency.
- Brush up on system design principles and be ready to discuss architectural trade-offs.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive and productive team environment.
- Consider how you would handle common management challenges like underperformance, conflict, and technical debt.
- Research Notion's engineering culture and recent technical blog posts or announcements.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Self-Assessment","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Notion's company culture, values, and product. Understand their engineering principles and recent technical challenges. Review your own career history and identify key achievements and learning experiences relevant to management.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Notion's culture, values, product. Career history review."}
- {"title":"People Management Skills","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Deep dive into people management best practices. Study topics like performance reviews, coaching, conflict resolution, hiring, and team building. Prepare STAR method examples for each of these areas.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: People management (performance, coaching, conflict, hiring). STAR examples."}
- {"title":"Technical Leadership & Strategy","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Refresh your knowledge of system design and architecture. Practice explaining complex technical concepts and trade-offs. Think about how you would lead a team through technical decision-making and roadmap planning.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: System design, architecture, technical decision-making. Roadmap planning."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews & Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Conduct mock interviews focusing on behavioral questions, situational judgment, and system design discussions. Seek feedback and refine your answers. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, feedback, question preparation."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote or hybrid team leadership.","Be prepared to discuss specific tools for remote communication and project management.","Emphasize your ability to build culture and connection in a distributed setting."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-time zone collaboration","Virtual team building"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with a remote team member?","Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.","What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration across different time zones?"]}}
- {"location":"San Francisco","differences":{"tips":["Provide examples of how you've built strong team cohesion in person.","Discuss your methods for providing in-person feedback and coaching.","Showcase your understanding of office-based productivity and collaboration."],"interviewFocus":["In-office team dynamics","Mentorship and direct feedback","Office-based collaboration strategies"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster a strong team culture in an office environment?","Describe your approach to in-person mentorship and career development.","How do you balance in-office collaboration with focused individual work?"]}}

## Round 1: Recruiter Screen
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Notion. They will discuss your background, motivations for applying, and high-level expectations for the position. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the company and the interview process.
**Interviewers look for:** Clear and concise communication; Enthusiasm for Notion; Basic understanding of the role's requirements
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication clarity; Cultural alignment; Basic understanding of management responsibilities
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to provide specific examples; Poor understanding of management principles; Lack of alignment with Notion's values
## Questions

- Why are you interested in a Software Engineering Manager role at Notion?
- Can you walk me through your management experience and key accomplishments?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are you looking for in your next role?

## Preparation tips

- Research Notion's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare a concise summary of your relevant experience.
- Be ready to articulate why you are interested in this specific role and company.
- Prepare questions to ask the recruiter about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: Technical & System Design
**Type:** Technical & System Design Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical depth, system design skills, and problem-solving abilities.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and system design capabilities. You'll be asked to discuss architectural choices, trade-offs, and how you would guide a team through complex technical challenges. Expect questions related to scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
**Interviewers look for:** Sound technical judgment; Ability to design scalable and robust systems; Clear explanation of technical trade-offs; Understanding of software development lifecycle
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; System design and architecture skills; Problem-solving approach; Ability to mentor engineers on technical topics
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of structured problem-solving; Inability to articulate technical decisions; Weak understanding of system design principles; Poor communication of technical concepts
## Questions

- Design a system for [e.g., a real-time collaboration tool, a notification service, a document storage system]. Discuss scalability, reliability, and potential bottlenecks.
- How would you approach migrating a monolithic application to a microservices architecture?
- Describe a complex technical problem you solved. What was your approach?
- How do you ensure code quality and manage technical debt within a team?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design fundamentals (databases, APIs, caching, load balancing, etc.).
- Practice designing systems for scale and reliability.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with different technology stacks.
- Think about how you would mentor engineers on technical growth.

## Round 3: People Management & Leadership
**Type:** People Management & Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates people management, leadership style, and team development capabilities.
This interview focuses on your people management and leadership skills. You'll be asked behavioral questions about how you've managed teams, handled conflicts, motivated engineers, and driven projects to success. Expect scenarios related to hiring, performance management, and team development.
**Interviewers look for:** Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams; Effective communication and interpersonal skills; Strategic thinking and business acumen; Experience in performance management and career development
**Evaluation criteria:** People management philosophy; Leadership effectiveness; Conflict resolution skills; Strategic planning and execution
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of strategic thinking; Difficulty managing team performance
## Questions

- Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. What was the situation and how did you resolve it?
- Describe your process for setting performance goals and providing feedback to your team members.
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Walk me through your experience hiring engineers. What do you look for, and how do you assess candidates?
- How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios.
- Reflect on your leadership style and philosophy.
- Think about how you foster a positive and productive team environment.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to hiring, onboarding, and retaining talent.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager Interview
**Type:** Hiring Manager Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses strategic thinking, business acumen, and alignment with company goals.
This final interview with the hiring manager (likely a Director or VP) assesses your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align your team's work with broader company objectives. You'll discuss your vision for the team, how you collaborate with product and other departments, and your approach to driving impact.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to think strategically and align team goals with business objectives; Strong collaboration and communication skills; Understanding of product development lifecycle and market dynamics; Ability to influence and drive consensus across different functions
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking; Cross-functional collaboration; Business acumen; Ability to influence and drive alignment
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision; Poor alignment with company goals; Inability to influence stakeholders; Weak understanding of business context
## Questions

- What is your vision for an engineering team at Notion, and how would you align it with our product roadmap?
- Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders from other departments (e.g., Product, Marketing) to achieve a common goal.
- How do you stay updated on industry trends and incorporate them into your team's strategy?
- What are the key metrics you use to measure the success of your team and its projects?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Notion's business strategy and market position.
- Think about how your team's work contributes to the company's overall success.
- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional collaboration.
- Be ready to discuss your long-term vision for an engineering team.