Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerM14High

This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (M14 level) position at Unity. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Unity's collaborative and innovative environment.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$170000 - US$220000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Technical depth and breadth relevant to Unity's technology stack.
  • Ability to make sound technical decisions and guide architectural discussions.
  • Understanding of software development lifecycle and best practices.

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly research Unity's products, mission, and values.
  2. Understand the challenges and opportunities in the game development and real-time 3D industries.
  3. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  4. Review common software engineering management principles and best practices.
  5. Familiarize yourself with Unity's engineering culture and leadership principles.
  6. Practice articulating your leadership philosophy and management style.
  7. Be ready to discuss your experience with scaling teams and managing complex projects.
  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

Company & Management Fundamentals

Weeks 1-2: Research Unity's business and products. Review software engineering management fundamentals.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Unity's products (Unity Editor, Unity Cloud, etc.), recent news, and financial reports. Understand the company's strategic goals and competitive landscape. Review core software engineering management principles, including agile methodologies, team building, performance management, and conflict resolution.

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict within your team. How did you resolve it?
  • How do you motivate your team during challenging projects or periods of change?
  • Describe your process for setting performance goals and providing feedback to your direct reports.
  • How do you balance the needs of your team with the demands of stakeholders and upper management?
  • Walk me through a significant technical challenge your team faced and how you led them through it.
  • How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
  • What is your approach to hiring and retaining top engineering talent?
  • Describe a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you stay current with technology trends and ensure your team is leveraging appropriate tools and practices?
  • How do you delegate tasks effectively and empower your team members?
  • What are your thoughts on managing technical debt?
  • How do you ensure your team delivers high-quality software consistently?
  • Describe your experience with agile development methodologies and how you've adapted them.
  • How do you handle underperformance on your team?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
  • Why are you interested in Unity and this specific role?

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 03 locations

01 / 03

Location

Remote/Distributed Teams

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-cultural communicationBuilding trust and engagement in a distributed workforce

Common questions

  • How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?
  • Describe a time you had to adapt your management style for a distributed team.
  • What are your strategies for fostering team cohesion and collaboration across different time zones?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and methodologies.
  • Provide examples of successfully managing geographically dispersed teams.
  • Emphasize your ability to create an inclusive environment for remote employees.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Unity.

Frequently reported on Unity loops

View all at Unity

Other guides

More at Unity.