Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerP7High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineering Manager (P7) role at Riot Games. It evaluates leadership capabilities, technical depth, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Riot's unique environment.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~4d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership Effectiveness: Ability to inspire, motivate, and guide teams towards achieving goals.
  • Technical Acumen: Deep understanding of software development principles, architecture, and best practices.
  • People Management: Skills in hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development.
  • Strategic Thinking: Capacity to align technical initiatives with business objectives and long-term vision.
  • Communication: Clarity, conciseness, and effectiveness in conveying ideas and information.
  • Problem-Solving: Analytical skills and ability to address complex technical and organizational challenges.
  • Cultural Fit: Alignment with Riot's values, player-centricity, and collaborative spirit.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Riot Games' mission, values, and player-focused philosophy.
  2. Review your past experiences and prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  3. Brush up on software engineering best practices, architectural patterns, and system design principles.
  4. Familiarize yourself with common leadership challenges and effective strategies for people management.
  5. Research current trends in game development and live service operations.
  6. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company culture.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 03 phases

01 / 03
01

Phase 01 of 03

Company & Self-Assessment

Weeks 1-2: Riot Games culture & business, career history review, STAR story preparation.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Riot Games' business, culture, and product portfolio. Deep dive into their player-first approach and how engineering supports these goals. Review your career history and identify key leadership and technical achievements relevant to a P7 SEM role. Start outlining STAR stories for common leadership and technical scenarios.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe a time you had to lead a team through a significant technical challenge or failure.
  • How do you balance the needs of your team with the demands of the business?
  • Tell me about your experience in hiring and retaining top engineering talent.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and psychological safety within your team?
  • Describe a situation where you had to manage underperforming employees. What steps did you take?
  • How do you ensure your team delivers high-quality, scalable, and maintainable software?
  • What is your approach to mentoring and developing engineers?
  • How do you handle disagreements or conflicts within your team or with other departments?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between technical debt and feature delivery.
  • How do you stay informed about industry best practices and emerging technologies, and how do you encourage your team to do the same?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Los Angeles, USA

Interview focus

Understanding of Riot's specific game development lifecycle and challenges.Ability to navigate the unique culture and player-focused mindset at Riot.Experience with managing teams working on live service games or large-scale projects.Demonstrated ability to drive technical strategy aligned with business goals.Emphasis on collaboration and cross-functional communication within a matrixed organization.

Common questions

  • How would you handle a conflict between two senior engineers on your team?
  • Describe a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a direct report. What was the outcome?
  • How do you foster innovation and creativity within a team?
  • In a fast-paced environment like Riot, how do you prioritize competing demands from different stakeholders?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a significant technical decision that impacted multiple teams. What was your process?
  • How do you ensure the psychological safety of your team members?
  • Describe your experience with managing remote or distributed teams.
  • How do you balance the need for technical excellence with the need to deliver features on time?
  • What are your strategies for mentoring and developing engineers at different career stages?
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?

Tips

  • Research Riot's current games and recent announcements to understand their strategic direction.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience with agile methodologies in a game development context.
  • Highlight any experience you have working with creative or design-focused teams.
  • Emphasize your ability to build and maintain high-performing, motivated teams.
  • Showcase your understanding of player empathy and how it translates into engineering decisions.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Riot Games.

Frequently reported on Riot Games loops

View all at Riot Games

Other guides

More at Riot Games.