Rokt

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL6CHigh

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for the Software Engineering Manager (L6C) role at Rokt. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

Rounds

4

Timeline

~14 days

Experience

8 - 15 yrs

Salary Range

US$170000 - US$220000

Total Duration

195 min

Overall Evaluation Criteria

Technical and Leadership Capabilities

Technical Acumen: Depth of understanding in relevant technologies, ability to guide technical decisions.
Leadership & People Management: Ability to inspire, mentor, and manage engineers, foster a positive team culture.
Strategic Thinking: Capacity to align team efforts with business goals, long-term planning.
Communication: Clarity, conciseness, and effectiveness in conveying ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.
Problem-Solving: Analytical skills, ability to break down complex issues and find effective solutions.
Cultural Fit: Alignment with Rokt's values, collaboration, and adaptability.

Execution and Team Management

Execution & Delivery: Proven track record of delivering projects on time and to quality standards.
Team Development: Experience in hiring, retaining, and growing engineering talent.
Stakeholder Management: Ability to effectively manage expectations and collaborate with product, design, and other departments.
Conflict Resolution: Skill in addressing and resolving interpersonal and technical disagreements.

Preparation Tips

1Review Rokt's company values and mission.
2Understand Rokt's product and the industry it operates in (e-commerce, marketing technology).
3Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
4Think about your leadership philosophy and how you foster a high-performing team.
5Be ready to discuss your experience with scaling teams and managing technical debt.
6Familiarize yourself with common software development lifecycle (SDLC) methodologies.
7Consider how you would handle common management challenges like underperformance, conflict, and resource allocation.

Study Plan

1

Company and Industry Immersion

Weeks 1-2: Rokt business, products, tech stack, values. STAR method basics.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Rokt's business, products, and technology stack. Understand the e-commerce and marketing technology landscape. Review company values and recent news. Prepare initial STAR examples for core leadership competencies.

2

People Management Skills

Weeks 3-4: People management best practices, performance reviews, conflict resolution. Prepare management examples.

Weeks 3-4: Focus on People Management. Study best practices for performance reviews, career development, conflict resolution, and team building. Prepare specific examples related to managing engineers, fostering culture, and handling difficult conversations.

3

Technical Leadership and Strategy

Weeks 5-6: Technical leadership, system design, strategy, innovation. Prepare technical examples.

Weeks 5-6: Concentrate on Technical Leadership and Strategy. Review your experience with system design, architecture, technical debt management, and strategic planning. Prepare examples of how you've guided technical direction and driven innovation.

4

Interview Practice and Refinement

Week 7: Mock interviews, refine STAR stories, prepare questions.

Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on articulating your experience clearly and concisely. Refine your STAR stories and ensure they highlight your impact. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers.

Commonly Asked Questions

Describe your leadership style and how you adapt it to different situations.
How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning within your team?
Tell me about a time you had to manage a significant technical challenge or project failure. What did you learn?
How do you balance the needs of your team with the demands of the business?
What are your strategies for attracting and retaining top engineering talent?
How do you handle disagreements or conflicts within your team or with other departments?
Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders or senior leadership to adopt a new technical approach or strategy.
How do you measure the success of your team and your own performance as a manager?
What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you prioritize its management?
How do you stay current with emerging technologies and industry trends?

Location-Based Differences

Sydney

Interview Focus

Understanding of local market talent pool and compensation benchmarks.Experience with specific regulatory environments if applicable (e.g., Australian privacy laws).Adaptability to the Australian work culture and communication styles.

Common Questions

How do you handle a situation where a key team member is underperforming?

Describe a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?

What are your strategies for fostering innovation within an engineering team?

How do you balance delivering on short-term goals with long-term technical strategy?

In Sydney, we often deal with a mix of legacy systems and new cloud-native architectures. How would you approach managing a team working on both?

Tips

Research Australian tech industry trends and common challenges.
Be prepared to discuss your experience with remote or hybrid team management, as this is prevalent in Sydney.
Highlight any experience working with distributed teams if applicable.

New York

Interview Focus

Experience with high-pressure, fast-paced environments.Ability to navigate complex stakeholder relationships in a major financial hub.Understanding of the US tech talent market and competitive landscape.

Common Questions

How do you drive technical excellence and maintain high standards within a team?

Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?

What is your approach to performance management and career development for your engineers?

How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's overall business objectives?

In New York, the pace is often very fast. How do you prioritize and manage multiple competing demands for your team's resources?

Tips

Emphasize your ability to deliver results under pressure.
Be ready to discuss your experience with scaling teams and systems in a growth-oriented market.
Showcase your understanding of agile methodologies and their application in a dynamic setting.

Process Timeline

1
HR/Recruiter Screen30m
2
Technical Leadership Interview60m
3
People Management Interview60m
4
Hiring Manager Interview45m

Interview Rounds

4-step process with detailed breakdown for each round

1

HR/Recruiter Screen

Initial screening to assess cultural fit, motivation, and basic qualifications.

HR ScreeningMedium
30 minHR/Recruiter

This initial round is conducted by HR or a recruiter to assess your overall fit with Rokt's culture, your communication style, and your motivation for the role. They will explore your background, career aspirations, and understanding of the company. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in Rokt and this specific position.

What Interviewers Look For

Enthusiasm for RoktClear communicationAlignment with core valuesBasic understanding of the role

Evaluation Criteria

Cultural fit
Communication skills
Basic understanding of Rokt's business

Questions Asked

Tell me about yourself and your career progression.

BehavioralCareer

Why are you interested in Rokt?

MotivationCompany Fit

What are your salary expectations?

Compensation

What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?

BehavioralSelf-Awareness

Preparation Tips

1Research Rokt's mission, vision, and values.
2Prepare to talk about your career journey and why you're looking for a new opportunity.
3Think about how your past experiences align with the requirements of an Engineering Manager role.
4Have questions ready for the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Lack of clarity in communication.
Inability to provide specific examples of leadership.
Poor understanding of people management principles.
Failure to demonstrate alignment with company values.
2

Technical Leadership Interview

Assesses technical leadership, system design, and problem-solving abilities.

Technical Deep Dive / System DesignHigh
60 minSenior Engineer / Principal Engineer

This round focuses on your technical leadership capabilities. You'll be asked to discuss your experience with system design, architecture, technical strategy, and how you guide engineering teams through complex technical challenges. Expect questions about managing technical debt, scaling systems, and making critical technology choices.

What Interviewers Look For

Strong technical backgroundExperience in leading technical initiativesSound judgment in technical trade-offsAbility to mentor engineers on technical growth

Evaluation Criteria

Technical depth and breadth
System design and architecture skills
Problem-solving approach
Ability to guide technical decisions

Questions Asked

Design a scalable recommendation system for an e-commerce platform.

System DesignScalabilityE-commerce

How would you approach migrating a monolithic application to microservices?

System DesignArchitectureMicroservices

Describe a time you had to make a significant technical trade-off. What was your reasoning?

BehavioralTechnical Decision Making

How do you ensure the quality and maintainability of the code produced by your team?

Technical LeadershipCode Quality

Preparation Tips

1Review common system design patterns and principles.
2Prepare to discuss past technical challenges you've overcome.
3Think about how you foster technical excellence and innovation.
4Be ready to articulate your approach to managing technical debt and ensuring system reliability.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to articulate technical vision.
Lack of experience in managing complex technical projects.
Poor problem-solving skills when faced with technical dilemmas.
Difficulty in explaining technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
3

People Management Interview

Focuses on your ability to manage, develop, and lead engineering teams effectively.

People Management InterviewHigh
60 minDirector of Engineering / VP of Engineering

This round evaluates your people management and leadership philosophy. You will be asked behavioral questions about how you manage teams, develop talent, handle performance issues, resolve conflicts, and foster a positive team culture. The interviewer will want to understand your approach to building and scaling high-performing engineering teams.

What Interviewers Look For

Proven ability to lead and motivate teamsExperience in developing engineers' careersEffective communication and interpersonal skillsCapacity to foster a positive and productive team environment

Evaluation Criteria

People management skills
Team building and development
Conflict resolution
Strategic thinking in team growth
Coaching and mentoring abilities

Questions Asked

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

BehavioralPeople ManagementPerformance Management

How do you foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within your team?

BehavioralTeam CultureCollaboration

Tell me about a time you had to deliver difficult feedback to a team member. How did you approach it?

BehavioralPeople ManagementFeedback

How do you prioritize work for your team when faced with competing demands?

BehavioralPrioritizationTeam Management

Preparation Tips

1Prepare specific examples using the STAR method for common management scenarios (e.g., underperformance, conflict, motivation).
2Think about your philosophy on career development and mentorship.
3Be ready to discuss how you build trust and psychological safety within a team.
4Consider how you align team goals with broader organizational objectives.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Inability to provide concrete examples of people management.
Lack of empathy or understanding of team dynamics.
Poor conflict resolution skills.
Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking in team development.
4

Hiring Manager Interview

Assesses strategic thinking, business alignment, and overall leadership fit with the hiring manager.

Hiring Manager InterviewHigh
45 minHiring Manager (Director/VP)

This is typically the final round with the hiring manager, often a Director or VP of Engineering. This interview focuses on your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to align engineering efforts with overall company objectives. You'll discuss how you set team direction, manage stakeholders, and contribute to the broader organizational strategy. Be prepared to discuss your vision for an engineering team at Rokt.

What Interviewers Look For

Ability to think strategically about technology and business.Experience in collaborating with product, sales, and other departments.Understanding of how engineering contributes to business success.Strong communication and influencing skills.

Evaluation Criteria

Strategic thinking
Business acumen
Stakeholder management
Cross-functional collaboration
Alignment with company goals

Questions Asked

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

Strategic ThinkingBusiness AcumenRoadmap Planning

Describe a time you had to influence a product decision. What was the outcome?

BehavioralStakeholder ManagementInfluence

What is your vision for a high-performing engineering team at Rokt?

VisionLeadershipTeam Building

How do you measure the success of your team beyond just code delivery?

MetricsTeam PerformanceBusiness Impact

Preparation Tips

1Understand Rokt's business model and strategic priorities.
2Think about how engineering enables business growth.
3Prepare examples of how you've influenced product strategy or business decisions.
4Articulate your vision for an engineering team that drives business impact.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Lack of strategic vision.
Inability to connect team's work to business outcomes.
Poor stakeholder management skills.
Misalignment on priorities or company direction.

Commonly Asked DSA Questions

Frequently asked coding questions at Rokt

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