Scale Engineer

L7

Software Engineering ManagerDirectorHigh

The Software Engineering Manager (L7) interview at Uber, targeting a Director level, is a comprehensive process designed to assess leadership, technical depth, strategic thinking, and people management skills. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to lead teams, drive technical excellence, foster a positive engineering culture, and contribute to Uber's overall product and business strategy.

Rounds·5

Timeline·~4d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·255 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership presence and ability to inspire teams.
  • Strategic thinking and long-term vision.
  • Technical depth and understanding of software architecture.
  • People management skills, including coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
  • Execution and delivery capabilities.
  • Communication and influencing skills.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Uber's values.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Deeply understand Uber's mission, values, and business strategy.
  2. Review your past experiences and identify key accomplishments that align with the role's requirements.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Brush up on system design principles, scalability, and distributed systems.
  5. Understand common software engineering management challenges and best practices.
  6. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
  7. Research the specific team and product area you would be managing.
  8. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewers.
  9. Network with current Uber engineering managers to gain insights.
  10. Be ready to discuss your approach to hiring, performance management, and career development.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 05 phases

01 / 05
01

Phase 01 of 05

Company & Self-Assessment

Weeks 1-2: Uber business & strategy, resume review, STAR method basics.

Weeks 1-2: Focus on Uber's business, products, and strategic initiatives. Understand the company's competitive landscape and recent news. Review your resume and identify key projects and achievements. Start preparing STAR method examples for common behavioral questions related to leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a difficult stakeholder relationship. How did you navigate it?
  • Describe your approach to building a high-performing engineering team from scratch.
  • How do you balance the need for innovation with the need for stability and reliability?
  • Walk me through a complex technical challenge your team faced and how you led them to a solution.
  • What is your philosophy on career development for engineers, and how do you implement it?
  • How do you handle situations where your team disagrees with a technical direction?
  • Describe a time you had to make a significant trade-off in a project. What was your decision-making process?
  • How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity within your team?
  • What are the key metrics you use to measure the success of your team and its projects?
  • Tell me about a time you had to deliver bad news or constructive criticism to a team member. How did you approach it?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

San Francisco Bay Area

Interview focus

Emphasis on strategic thinking and long-term vision.Deeper dive into organizational design and scaling challenges.More focus on cross-functional collaboration and influencing senior leadership.Assessment of experience in managing managers or leading larger organizations.

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers in a high-pressure environment?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult trade-off between technical debt and feature delivery. What was the outcome?
  • How do you foster innovation within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders outside of your direct reporting line. How did you approach it?
  • What are your strategies for scaling a team and its processes as the company grows?
  • How do you ensure the psychological safety of your team members?
  • Describe your experience with managing distributed or remote teams.
  • How do you balance the needs of individual team members with the goals of the project and the company?
  • What is your approach to performance reviews and career development for your engineers?
  • How do you stay current with emerging technologies and assess their potential impact on Uber's business?

Tips

  • Research Uber's current strategic priorities and challenges.
  • Prepare examples that demonstrate impact at an organizational level.
  • Be ready to discuss your philosophy on building and scaling engineering organizations.
  • Understand the specific business context of the role you are interviewing for.
  • Highlight experience in managing complex, multi-team projects.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

Med

Recruiter Screen · 30 min · Recruiter/HR

This initial screening call with a recruiter aims to assess your overall fit for the role and Uber. They will discuss your background, motivations for applying, and high-level expectations regarding compensation and career goals. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and the interview process.

What they look for

Positive attitude.Clear communication.Genuine interest in Uber and the role.Alignment with Uber's core values.

Evaluation

  • Cultural fit.
  • Communication skills.
  • Enthusiasm for the role and Uber.
  • Basic understanding of the role requirements.

Sample questions

  • Why are you interested in this role at Uber?

    BehavioralMotivation

  • Tell me about your experience managing engineering teams.

    BehavioralExperience

  • What are your salary expectations?

    Logistics

  • What do you know about Uber's culture?

    BehavioralCulture

Prep for this round

  1. 01Research Uber's mission, values, and recent news.
  2. 02Be prepared to talk about your career aspirations and why you're interested in this specific role.
  3. 03Have a clear understanding of your salary expectations.
  4. 04Prepare questions about the role, team, and company culture.

Common rejection reasons

  • ×Lack of clear communication.
  • ×Inability to articulate past experiences effectively.
  • ×Not demonstrating alignment with Uber's values.
  • ×Poor initial impression or lack of enthusiasm.

DSA

Coding questions at Uber.

Frequently reported on Uber loops

View all at Uber

Other guides

More at Uber.