Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL7High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (L7) position at Samsung. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Samsung's innovative environment.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~21d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·225 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth relevant to Samsung's product lines.
  • Ability to architect and oversee complex software systems.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Samsung's products, services, and recent innovations.
  2. Review common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Familiarize yourself with Agile, Scrum, and other relevant development methodologies.
  5. Research Samsung's company culture, values, and mission.
  6. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
  7. Be ready to discuss your experience with technical roadmapping and strategy.
  8. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 04 phases

01 / 04
01

Phase 01 of 04

Foundation & Company Research

Weeks 1-2: Samsung business & products, core SWE principles, management frameworks.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on understanding Samsung's business, product portfolio, and recent technological advancements. Review core software engineering principles, data structures, algorithms, and system design concepts at a high level. Familiarize yourself with common management frameworks and leadership theories.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Describe your leadership philosophy and how you motivate your team.
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a project that was falling behind schedule. What steps did you take?
  • How do you balance the need for innovation with the delivery of core product features?
  • What is your approach to performance management and career development for your engineers?
  • Describe a challenging technical problem you faced and how you guided your team to solve it.
  • How do you foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you had to deal with a difficult stakeholder or cross-functional team.
  • What are your strategies for ensuring code quality and technical excellence?
  • How do you stay updated with the latest technology trends and incorporate them into your team's work?
  • Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult decision that was unpopular with your team. How did you handle it?
  • How do you prioritize tasks and manage competing demands for your team's resources?
  • What are your thoughts on technical debt and how do you manage it?
  • How do you handle underperformance within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you successfully mentored an engineer and helped them grow their career.
  • What are your expectations for a Software Engineering Manager at Samsung?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Seoul, South Korea

Interview focus

Adaptability to local market demands and team dynamics.Understanding of regional engineering talent pools.Experience with cross-cultural team collaboration.

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming team members in a fast-paced environment?
  • Describe a time you had to manage a project with conflicting priorities across different departments.
  • What are your strategies for fostering innovation within a team?
  • How do you ensure code quality and technical excellence in a distributed team setting?
  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team's morale.

Tips

  • Research Samsung's presence and specific projects in this region.
  • Be prepared to discuss your experience managing diverse teams.
  • Highlight any experience with local regulatory or market-specific challenges.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Samsung.

Frequently reported on Samsung loops

View all at Samsung

Other guides

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