# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** L3
**Company:** [Notion](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/notion)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 5 - 10
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineering Manager (L3) role 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/l3-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical Acumen
- People Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Cultural Fit

## Questions asked

- Describe a time you had to manage a difficult team member. How did you handle it?
- How do you prioritize competing demands from product, engineering, and stakeholders?
- Tell me about a significant technical challenge your team faced and how you guided them through it.
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- What is your approach to performance reviews and career development for your engineers?
- Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
- What are your strategies for effective hiring and building a high-performing team?
- How do you handle technical debt and ensure code quality?
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Deeply understand Notion's mission, values, and product.
- Review common software engineering management interview questions.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
- Brush up on system design principles and scalability concepts.
- Think about your leadership philosophy and how you develop engineering teams.
- Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely.
- Research current trends in software development and management.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company & Foundational Knowledge","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Focus on Notion's company culture, values, and product. Understand their engineering challenges and how they approach development. Review core software engineering principles and best practices. Begin preparing STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, conflict resolution, and team building.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Notion's culture, product, core SE principles, STAR method for behavioral questions."}
- {"title":"System Design & Technical Leadership","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Dive into system design and architecture. Study scalability, distributed systems, and common design patterns. Practice explaining complex technical concepts and trade-offs. Prepare for questions on technical decision-making and how you guide teams through architectural challenges.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: System design, architecture, scalability, technical decision-making."}
- {"title":"People Management & Leadership","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Concentrate on people management and leadership. Review topics like performance management, hiring, coaching, mentoring, conflict resolution, and fostering a positive team environment. Prepare specific examples of your successes and challenges in these areas. Understand how to motivate and develop engineers at different career stages.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: People management, hiring, coaching, conflict resolution, team motivation."}
- {"title":"Mock Interviews & Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Conduct mock interviews focusing on all aspects covered. Practice articulating your thoughts and responses clearly and concisely. Seek feedback and refine your answers. Ensure you are comfortable discussing your career progression and aspirations.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refining answers, career aspirations."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and methodologies.","Provide examples of successfully managing geographically dispersed teams.","Emphasize your ability to create an inclusive environment for remote employees."],"interviewFocus":["Remote team management strategies","Cross-cultural communication","Building trust and engagement in a distributed workforce"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with remote team members?","Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.","What tools and strategies do you use to foster collaboration in a remote setting?"]}}
- {"location":"Office-based (e.g., San Francisco, New York)","differences":{"tips":["Showcase experience in building strong team cohesion through in-person interactions.","Provide examples of successful on-site project execution.","Discuss strategies for effective in-person communication and feedback."],"interviewFocus":["On-site team dynamics","Cross-functional collaboration in an office setting","Mentoring and coaching junior engineers in person"],"commonQuestions":["How do you foster innovation within a co-located engineering team?","Describe your approach to managing cross-functional teams in an office environment.","How do you leverage in-person interactions to drive team performance?"]}}

## Round 1: HR/Recruiter Screen
**Type:** Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening call to assess background, motivation, and cultural fit.
This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to understand your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying to Notion. They will assess your communication skills, cultural fit, and provide an overview of the role and the interview process. Be prepared to discuss your resume and why you are interested in this specific opportunity.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Notion; Clear communication; Basic understanding of the role; Alignment with company values
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural alignment; Understanding of Notion's values; Initial assessment of experience and motivation
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication; Inability to provide specific examples; Poor cultural fit; Lack of strategic thinking
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career journey.
- Why are you interested in Notion and this specific role?
- What are your salary expectations?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

## Preparation tips

- Research Notion's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare a concise summary of your experience and career goals.
- Be ready to articulate why you are a good fit for Notion.
- Have questions prepared 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 and system design capabilities.
This round focuses on your technical expertise and system design capabilities. You will likely be asked to design a scalable system or solve a complex technical problem. The interviewer will assess your ability to break down problems, consider trade-offs, and communicate your design choices effectively.
**Interviewers look for:** Structured thinking; Sound technical judgment; Ability to design scalable systems; Clear articulation of trade-offs
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth; Problem-solving approach; System design skills; Ability to communicate technical concepts
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of structured problem-solving; Inability to articulate technical decisions; Weak understanding of system design principles; Poor collaboration during the exercise
## Questions

- Design a system for [e.g., a real-time collaboration tool, a notification service].
- How would you scale [a specific feature or service] to handle millions of users?
- Discuss the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases for a given scenario.
- How do you approach diagnosing and resolving performance bottlenecks in a distributed system?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design concepts (scalability, databases, APIs, caching, etc.).
- Practice designing common systems (e.g., URL shortener, social media feed).
- Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and justify your design decisions.
- Think about how you would lead a team through a similar technical challenge.

## Round 3: People Management & Leadership
**Type:** People Management & Leadership Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Focuses on people management, leadership, and strategic thinking.
This interview focuses on your people management and leadership philosophy. You'll be asked behavioral questions about how you manage teams, handle conflicts, develop talent, and drive strategic initiatives. The interviewer will assess your ability to build and lead high-performing engineering teams.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to lead and mentor teams; Effective conflict resolution strategies; Strategic thinking and alignment with business goals; Experience in hiring and performance management
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills; Leadership effectiveness; Conflict resolution abilities; Strategic thinking and planning
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership; Poor conflict resolution skills; Lack of strategic vision; Difficulty managing team performance
## Questions

- Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
- How do you motivate your team during challenging projects?
- Tell me about your experience with performance reviews and career development for engineers.
- How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's strategic goals?
- Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for leadership, team building, conflict resolution, and performance management.
- Think about your leadership style and how you foster a positive team culture.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to hiring, onboarding, and retaining talent.
- Consider how you align engineering efforts with business objectives.

## Round 4: Hiring Manager / Cross-functional Fit
**Type:** Hiring Manager / Cross-functional Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 45 min
Assesses cultural fit, collaboration, and strategic alignment.
This interview, often with the hiring manager or a peer manager, assesses your overall fit within the team and Notion's culture. It will involve a mix of behavioral and situational questions, focusing on how you collaborate with other departments, handle ambiguity, and contribute to the broader engineering organization's goals.
**Interviewers look for:** Alignment with Notion's values; Ability to collaborate effectively with Product, Design, etc.; Strategic thinking and execution; Proactiveness and ownership
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit; Collaboration skills; Strategic alignment; Problem-solving in ambiguous situations
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment with Notion's culture; Poor collaboration with cross-functional partners; Inability to articulate vision or strategy; Weak problem-solving in ambiguous situations
## Questions

- How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Designers?
- Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders without direct authority.
- How do you handle ambiguity and changing priorities?
- What are your thoughts on the future of [relevant technology or industry]?

## Preparation tips

- Reiterate your understanding of Notion's culture and values.
- Prepare examples of successful cross-functional collaboration.
- Think about how you would contribute to Notion's long-term vision.
- Be ready to discuss how you handle ambiguity and drive initiatives.