Rokt

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL2Medium to Hard

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L2) position at Rokt. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

Rounds

4

Timeline

~14 days

Experience

5 - 10 yrs

Salary Range

US$170000 - US$220000

Total Duration

210 min

Overall Evaluation Criteria

Technical and Leadership Capabilities

Technical Acumen: Understanding of software development lifecycle, architecture, and best practices.
Leadership & People Management: Ability to mentor, coach, and develop engineers; conflict resolution; performance management.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to align team goals with business objectives, long-term planning.
Communication: Clarity, conciseness, active listening, ability to influence.
Problem-Solving: Analytical skills, ability to break down complex issues.
Cultural Fit: Alignment with Rokt's values (e.g., customer obsession, innovation, collaboration).

Company and Role Alignment

Understanding of Rokt's business and industry.
Alignment with Rokt's mission and values.
Enthusiasm for the role and company.

Preparation Tips

1Research Rokt's products, services, and company culture thoroughly.
2Understand the challenges and opportunities in the e-commerce and marketing technology space.
3Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
4Review common software engineering management best practices, including agile methodologies, team building, and performance management.
5Think about your leadership philosophy and how it aligns with Rokt's values.
6Be ready to discuss your technical background and how you stay current with technology trends.
7Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

Study Plan

1

Company Research & Behavioral Preparation

Weeks 1-2: Research Rokt, understand business, prepare STAR examples.

Week 1-2: Deep dive into Rokt's business model, products, recent news, and company culture. Understand the competitive landscape. Review the job description and identify key responsibilities and required skills. Begin preparing STAR method examples for common leadership and behavioral questions.

2

Technical Foundations Refresh

Weeks 3-4: Refresh technical concepts, agile, cloud, prepare for technical discussions.

Week 3-4: Refresh knowledge on software development lifecycle, agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban), CI/CD, testing strategies, and cloud technologies relevant to Rokt's stack. Prepare to discuss technical challenges you've overcome and your approach to technical decision-making.

3

People Management & Leadership Skills

Weeks 5-6: Focus on people management, team motivation, conflict resolution, prepare leadership examples.

Week 5-6: Focus on people management aspects: performance reviews, career development, conflict resolution, motivating teams, hiring best practices, and fostering an inclusive environment. Prepare examples demonstrating your people leadership skills.

4

Final Preparation & Practice

Week 7: Practice articulation, strategic thinking, prepare questions, mock interviews.

Week 7: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, strategic thinking, and problem-solving approaches. Prepare questions for the interviewers. Conduct mock interviews if possible, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and impact.

Commonly Asked Questions

Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder. How did you handle it?
Describe your approach to mentoring and developing engineers on your team.
How do you balance the need for speed with the need for quality in software development?
Walk me through a challenging project you led. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?
How do you foster a culture of innovation within your team?
What is your experience with performance management and addressing underperformance?
How do you stay updated on new technologies and ensure your team does as well?
Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
How do you prioritize tasks and manage competing demands for your team's resources?
What are your thoughts on the current state of e-commerce technology?
How would you handle a situation where two senior engineers on your team have a significant disagreement?
What are your strategies for building and maintaining a high-performing team?
Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
How do you ensure psychological safety within your team?
What are your expectations for this role at Rokt?

Location-Based Differences

Remote/Hybrid

Interview Focus

Adaptability to remote/hybrid team managementCross-cultural communicationBuilding 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 are your strategies for fostering team cohesion in a hybrid work environment?

Tips

Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and strategies.
Be prepared to discuss how you ensure equitable opportunities for all team members, regardless of location.
Emphasize your ability to build strong relationships virtually.

On-site (e.g., Sydney)

Interview Focus

Agile methodologies and rapid executionStakeholder managementOn-site team dynamics and collaboration

Common Questions

How do you manage stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced, on-site environment?

Describe a time you had to quickly pivot a project due to changing business priorities.

How do you foster innovation and collaboration within a co-located team?

Tips

Showcase your ability to drive results in a dynamic, in-person setting.
Provide examples of how you've effectively communicated with and managed expectations of various stakeholders.
Emphasize your experience in fostering a collaborative and innovative on-site culture.

Process Timeline

1
HR Screening Call45m
2
Technical and System Design Interview60m
3
Hiring Manager Interview60m
4
Senior Leadership Interview45m

Interview Rounds

4-step process with detailed breakdown for each round

1

HR Screening Call

Initial call with HR to assess background, motivation, and cultural fit.

HR ScreeningMedium
45 minHR/Recruiter

This initial screening call with HR aims to understand your background, career aspirations, and motivation for applying to Rokt. It also covers logistical aspects like salary expectations and availability. The focus is on assessing your overall fit with the company culture and the basic requirements of the role.

What Interviewers Look For

Enthusiasm and positive attitude.Clear and concise communication.Basic understanding of management principles.Alignment with Rokt's values.Genuine interest in the role and company.

Evaluation Criteria

Communication skills
Cultural fit
Understanding of basic HR and people management principles
Motivation for the role and company

Questions Asked

Tell me about yourself and your career progression.

BehavioralCareer

Why are you interested in Rokt and this specific role?

MotivationCompany Fit

What are your salary expectations?

LogisticsCompensation

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?

BehavioralSelf-Awareness

Describe your ideal work environment.

Cultural FitWork Style

Preparation Tips

1Be prepared to talk about your career journey and why you're interested in this specific role at Rokt.
2Have your salary expectations clearly defined.
3Research Rokt's mission, values, and recent news.
4Practice articulating your strengths and how they align with the job description.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Lack of clear communication.
Inability to provide specific examples using the STAR method.
Appearing defensive when discussing failures or challenges.
Not demonstrating alignment with Rokt's values.
Lack of strategic thinking or business acumen.
2

Technical and System Design Interview

Assess technical depth, system design skills, and problem-solving abilities.

Technical & System Design InterviewHard
60 minSenior Software Engineer / Architect

This round focuses on your technical expertise and system design capabilities. You will be asked to discuss architectural choices, trade-offs, and solutions to complex technical problems. The interviewer will assess your ability to design scalable, reliable, and maintainable systems.

What Interviewers Look For

Strong understanding of software architecture and design patterns.Ability to think critically and solve complex technical problems.Clear communication of technical ideas.Experience with distributed systems and cloud technologies.Pragmatic approach to technical decision-making.

Evaluation Criteria

Technical depth and breadth.
System design and architecture skills.
Problem-solving abilities.
Ability to lead technical discussions.
Understanding of scalability, reliability, and performance.

Questions Asked

Design a URL shortening service like bit.ly.

System DesignScalabilityDatabases

How would you design a real-time notification system?

System DesignReal-timeMessaging Queues

Discuss the trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases for a specific use case.

DatabasesTrade-offsArchitecture

How would you approach optimizing the performance of a slow API?

Performance TuningTroubleshootingSystem Design

Describe your experience with microservices architecture.

ArchitectureMicroservicesDistributed Systems

Preparation Tips

1Review common system design patterns and principles (e.g., microservices, APIs, databases, caching, load balancing).
2Practice designing systems for scalability and high availability.
3Be prepared to discuss trade-offs in design decisions.
4Understand cloud infrastructure concepts (AWS, GCP, Azure).
5Think about how you would lead a team through a complex technical design process.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to articulate technical decisions or trade-offs.
Lack of depth in understanding system design principles.
Poor problem-solving approach.
Difficulty in explaining complex technical concepts clearly.
Not demonstrating leadership in technical discussions.
3

Hiring Manager Interview

Focus on people management, leadership style, strategic thinking, and team development.

Managerial / People Management InterviewHard
60 minHiring Manager (Director/VP of Engineering)

This interview focuses on your people management and leadership capabilities. The hiring manager will delve into your experience managing teams, developing engineers, handling performance issues, and driving strategic initiatives. Expect behavioral questions designed to elicit specific examples of your leadership in action.

What Interviewers Look For

Proven ability to lead and grow engineering teams.Experience in mentoring, coaching, and developing talent.Strong understanding of agile development processes.Ability to set clear goals and drive execution.Effective communication and interpersonal skills.Strategic mindset and business awareness.

Evaluation Criteria

People management skills.
Leadership style and effectiveness.
Strategic thinking and planning.
Conflict resolution.
Team building and motivation.
Performance management.

Questions Asked

Describe a time you had to manage an underperforming engineer. What steps did you take?

People ManagementPerformance ManagementBehavioral

How do you foster career growth and development for your team members?

MentorshipCareer DevelopmentPeople Management

Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict within your team.

Conflict ResolutionTeam DynamicsBehavioral

How do you set goals and priorities for your team, and how do you ensure they are met?

StrategyExecutionGoal Setting

What is your approach to hiring and building a strong engineering team?

HiringTeam BuildingRecruitment

How do you balance technical debt with delivering new features?

Technical StrategyPrioritizationTrade-offs

Preparation Tips

1Prepare detailed examples using the STAR method for questions related to team management, conflict resolution, performance reviews, and strategic planning.
2Think about your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team culture.
3Be ready to discuss how you handle difficult conversations and motivate your team.
4Consider how you align team objectives with broader business goals.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to provide concrete examples of leadership.
Poor conflict resolution skills.
Lack of strategic vision.
Difficulty in managing team performance or development.
Not demonstrating empathy or strong people skills.
4

Senior Leadership Interview

Assess strategic thinking, business acumen, and alignment with senior leadership.

Senior Leadership InterviewHard
45 minDirector/VP of Engineering or relevant senior leader

This final interview is with a senior leader (Director or VP level) to assess your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to operate at a higher level. They will want to understand how you align technical strategy with business goals, manage cross-functional relationships, and contribute to the overall success of the engineering organization.

What Interviewers Look For

Ability to think strategically and connect technical initiatives to business outcomes.Experience working with senior leadership and influencing decisions.Strong understanding of the business domain.Potential to grow into more senior leadership roles.Cultural alignment with Rokt's leadership principles.

Evaluation Criteria

Strategic thinking and vision.
Cross-functional collaboration.
Business acumen.
Influence and communication with senior stakeholders.
Leadership potential and alignment with company direction.

Questions Asked

How do you see the e-commerce landscape evolving in the next 3-5 years, and what role does technology play?

StrategyIndustry TrendsBusiness Acumen

Describe a time you influenced a major technical or strategic decision at a company.

InfluenceStrategyLeadershipBehavioral

How would you align your team's roadmap with the company's quarterly business objectives?

StrategyAlignmentPlanning

What are the key metrics you use to measure the success of your engineering team and its output?

MetricsPerformanceStrategy

Where do you see yourself in 5 years, and how does this role at Rokt fit into that vision?

Career GoalsMotivationLong-term Vision

Preparation Tips

1Understand Rokt's overall business strategy and market position.
2Be prepared to discuss how technology can drive business value.
3Think about your long-term vision for an engineering team and how it contributes to company goals.
4Practice articulating complex ideas concisely and persuasively.
5Prepare questions that demonstrate your strategic thinking and interest in the company's future.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Lack of alignment with senior leadership vision.
Inability to think at a strategic, cross-functional level.
Poor communication or influence skills with senior stakeholders.
Not demonstrating a clear understanding of business impact.
Cultural misalignment with senior leadership.

Commonly Asked DSA Questions

Frequently asked coding questions at Rokt

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