# Software Engineering Manager
**Role:** Software Engineering Manager · **Level:** M9
**Company:** [Unity](https://scaleengineer.com/companies/unity)
**Difficulty:** High
**Salary:** US$180000 - US$250000
**Experience:** 8 - 15
**Timeline:** ~14 days
This interview process is designed to assess candidates for a Software Engineering Manager (M9 level) position at Unity. It evaluates technical leadership, people management skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit within Unity's collaborative and innovative environment.
Canonical: https://scaleengineer.com/interviews/unity/m9-software-engineering-manager
---
## Overall evaluation

- Technical and Leadership Competencies
- Strategic and Business Acumen
- People Management and Team Development

## Questions asked

- Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult technical decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within your team?
- Describe your approach to managing underperforming engineers.
- How do you balance the needs of your team with the strategic goals of the company?
- Tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict between team members.
- How do you stay current with technology trends relevant to game development?
- What is your philosophy on hiring and building high-performing engineering teams?
- Describe a project where you had to manage significant technical debt. How did you approach it?
- How do you delegate tasks effectively to your team members?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
- How do you measure the success of your team?
- Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn from it?
- How do you ensure your team is aligned with the company's overall vision and goals?
- What are your thoughts on agile methodologies, and how have you implemented them?
- How do you handle stakeholder management and communication?

## Preparation tips

### lists

- Thoroughly research Unity's products, technologies, and company culture.
- Review common Software Engineering Manager interview questions, focusing on leadership, strategy, and people management.
- Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to illustrate your experience.
- Understand Unity's core values and how your experience aligns with them.
- Familiarize yourself with agile development methodologies and best practices.
- Practice articulating your technical vision and how you would lead a team to achieve it.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to performance reviews, career development, and conflict resolution.
- Consider potential challenges and opportunities specific to managing engineering teams at Unity.

### studyPlan

- {"title":"Company and Leadership Foundation","longDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Unity's history, mission, values, and current product offerings. Understand the gaming industry landscape and Unity's position within it. Review common leadership frameworks and theories. Begin preparing STAR method examples for core competencies like team building, conflict resolution, and technical decision-making.","shortDescription":"Weeks 1-2: Unity research, leadership frameworks, STAR method prep."}
- {"title":"Technical Acumen and Strategy","longDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Focus on technical leadership. Review software architecture principles, system design, and scalability concepts relevant to game development. Prepare to discuss your experience in technical decision-making, code quality, and fostering innovation. Brush up on common data structures and algorithms, and be ready to discuss how you'd assess these in your team.","shortDescription":"Weeks 3-4: Technical leadership, architecture, system design, algorithm review."}
- {"title":"People Management and Team Building","longDescription":"Weeks 5-6: Concentrate on people management and team development. Study best practices in hiring, performance management, career coaching, and conflict resolution. Prepare examples of how you've motivated teams, handled underperformance, and fostered a positive team culture. Understand how to set team goals and measure success.","shortDescription":"Weeks 5-6: People management, hiring, performance, conflict resolution, team motivation."}
- {"title":"Interview Practice and Refinement","longDescription":"Week 7: Practice mock interviews, focusing on articulating your experience clearly and concisely. Refine your STAR method stories. Prepare questions to ask the interviewers about the role, team, and company. Ensure you can articulate your vision for an engineering team at Unity.","shortDescription":"Week 7: Mock interviews, refining STAR stories, preparing questions."}

## Location differences

- {"location":"Remote/Hybrid","differences":{"tips":["Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro).","Be prepared to discuss strategies for maintaining team morale and productivity across different locations.","Emphasize your understanding of global team dynamics and cultural nuances."],"interviewFocus":["Adaptability to remote/hybrid team management","Cross-cultural communication and collaboration","Tools and techniques for managing distributed teams"],"commonQuestions":["How do you handle performance issues with a direct report in a remote setting?","Describe a time you had to manage a conflict between team members located in different time zones.","What strategies do you use to foster team cohesion and collaboration in a hybrid work environment?"]}}
- {"location":"On-site (e.g., San Francisco, Copenhagen)","differences":{"tips":["Provide examples of how you've facilitated in-person brainstorming sessions and team-building activities.","Discuss your experience in creating an inclusive and productive office environment.","Showcase your ability to leverage face-to-face interactions for faster decision-making and problem-solving."],"interviewFocus":["On-site team dynamics and collaboration","Building a strong team culture within an office setting","Effective communication with local stakeholders"],"commonQuestions":["How do you ensure alignment and communication within a co-located team?","Describe your approach to fostering innovation and creativity in an office-based environment.","How do you manage stakeholder relationships with teams in close proximity?"]}}

## Round 1: HR Screening
**Type:** HR/Recruiter Screen · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Initial screening to assess cultural fit, motivation, and basic qualifications.
This initial round is conducted by a recruiter or HR representative to assess your overall fit for the role and Unity. They will explore your career aspirations, motivation for applying, and general understanding of management principles. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about the role and the company culture.
**Interviewers look for:** Enthusiasm for Unity and the role.; Clear communication and articulation.; Basic understanding of management principles.; Alignment with company values.; Professionalism.
**Evaluation criteria:** Communication skills; Cultural fit; Understanding of basic HR principles; Motivation for the role and company
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of clear communication.; Inability to provide specific examples of leadership.; Poor understanding of people management principles.; Failure to demonstrate strategic thinking.; Not aligning with Unity's cultural values.
## Questions

- Tell me about yourself and your career journey.
- Why are you interested in Unity and this Software Engineering Manager role?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader?
- How do you motivate your team?
- What are your salary expectations?

## Preparation tips

- Research Unity's mission, values, and recent news.
- Prepare to discuss your career goals and why you're interested in this specific role.
- Be ready to provide examples of your leadership style and how you motivate teams.
- Have questions prepared for the interviewer about the role, team, and company culture.

## Round 2: Technical Architecture and Design
**Type:** Technical Deep Dive · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Assesses technical leadership, system design, and problem-solving skills.
This round focuses on your technical leadership and architectural capabilities. You'll be asked to discuss your experience with system design, scalability, and technical decision-making. Expect to dive deep into technical challenges and how you would guide your team to solve them.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong understanding of software development principles.; Ability to design scalable and robust systems.; Experience in making sound technical decisions.; Capacity to guide a team through complex technical challenges.; Forward-thinking technical vision.
**Evaluation criteria:** Technical depth and breadth.; System design and architecture skills.; Problem-solving abilities.; Ability to lead technical discussions.; Strategic technical thinking.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of depth in technical problem-solving.; Inability to articulate technical strategy.; Poor understanding of system design or architecture.; Difficulty in explaining technical concepts clearly.; Not demonstrating leadership in technical decision-making.
## Questions

- Design a system for real-time multiplayer game synchronization.
- How would you approach optimizing the performance of a large-scale game engine?
- Describe a challenging technical problem you solved as a manager. What was your approach?
- How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in a large codebase?
- What are your thoughts on microservices vs. monolithic architectures in the context of game development?

## Preparation tips

- Review system design principles, common architectural patterns, and scalability strategies.
- Prepare to discuss your experience with various technologies relevant to Unity's stack (e.g., C++, C#, graphics, networking).
- Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly and concisely.
- Be ready to whiteboard or discuss architectural solutions for hypothetical problems.
- Think about how you foster technical excellence and innovation within a team.

## Round 3: People Management and Team Leadership
**Type:** People Management Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates your ability to manage, mentor, and develop engineering teams.
This round focuses on your people management philosophy and experience. You'll discuss how you build, develop, and manage engineering teams, including hiring, performance management, conflict resolution, and fostering a positive team culture. Expect behavioral questions designed to elicit specific examples of your management style.
**Interviewers look for:** Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead engineering teams.; Effective strategies for performance management and career development.; Skills in fostering a positive and collaborative team environment.; Ability to handle difficult conversations and resolve conflicts.; Understanding of hiring best practices.
**Evaluation criteria:** People management skills.; Team development and coaching.; Conflict resolution.; Performance management.; Strategic people planning.
**Common rejection reasons:** Inability to provide concrete examples of people management.; Poor conflict resolution skills.; Lack of strategic thinking in team development.; Difficulty in managing performance issues.; Not demonstrating empathy or strong interpersonal skills.
## Questions

- Describe your approach to performance management and career development for your team members.
- Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict between two engineers. How did you resolve it?
- How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and inclusivity on your team?
- Describe your process for hiring new engineers. What do you look for?
- How do you handle an underperforming engineer on your team?

## Preparation tips

- Prepare detailed examples using the STAR method for situations involving team building, conflict resolution, performance management, and career development.
- Understand different leadership styles and when to apply them.
- Think about how you set team goals and align them with organizational objectives.
- Be ready to discuss your approach to feedback and coaching.
- Consider how you foster diversity and inclusion within a team.

## Round 4: Strategic Alignment and Business Impact
**Type:** Managerial/Strategic Interview · **Difficulty:** High · **Duration:** 60 min
Evaluates strategic thinking, business acumen, and stakeholder management.
This round assesses your strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to collaborate with other departments. You'll discuss how you align engineering efforts with business goals, manage stakeholders, and contribute to the company's overall strategy. Expect questions about your vision for the team and how you'd drive impact.
**Interviewers look for:** Ability to think strategically and align team goals with business objectives.; Experience in managing relationships with various stakeholders.; Capacity to influence and drive change.; Understanding of the broader business context.; A clear vision for the future of the engineering function.
**Evaluation criteria:** Strategic thinking and planning.; Business acumen.; Stakeholder management.; Vision and influence.; Cross-functional collaboration.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of strategic vision for the team/department.; Inability to align with company-wide goals.; Poor stakeholder management skills.; Not demonstrating business acumen.; Failure to articulate a compelling vision for the future.
## Questions

- How would you align your team's roadmap with Unity's product strategy?
- Describe a time you had to influence senior leadership or stakeholders to adopt a new technical approach or strategy.
- What are the key metrics you would track to measure the success and impact of your engineering team?
- How do you balance innovation with delivering on existing commitments?
- What is your vision for the future of game development technology, and how would you position your team to lead in that space?

## Preparation tips

- Understand Unity's business model, market position, and strategic priorities.
- Think about how engineering contributes to business success.
- Prepare examples of how you've influenced stakeholders and driven cross-functional initiatives.
- Be ready to articulate your vision for an engineering team at Unity and how it supports the company's long-term goals.
- Consider how you measure team impact in terms of business value.

## Round 5: Executive Leadership Alignment
**Type:** Executive/Final Round · **Difficulty:** Medium · **Duration:** 45 min
Final discussion on leadership vision, cultural alignment, and overall fit.
This final round is typically with a senior engineering leader. The focus is on your overall leadership philosophy, vision, and how you embody Unity's culture. It's a chance to ensure alignment at a high level and for you to ask any remaining questions about the company's direction and leadership expectations.
**Interviewers look for:** Strong alignment with Unity's culture and values.; A clear and inspiring leadership vision.; Good rapport and potential for collaboration.; Overall confidence and professionalism.
**Evaluation criteria:** Cultural fit.; Leadership vision.; Alignment with company values.; Overall impression and chemistry.
**Common rejection reasons:** Lack of alignment on vision or values.; Poor chemistry with potential peers or senior leadership.; Inability to articulate a compelling vision.; Concerns about overall leadership style.; Failure to demonstrate a strong understanding of Unity's culture.
## Questions

- What is your long-term vision for leading an engineering team at Unity?
- How do you see yourself contributing to Unity's culture?
- What are the biggest challenges you anticipate facing as an Engineering Manager at Unity?
- Do you have any questions for me about the role, the team, or the company?

## Preparation tips

- Reiterate your understanding of Unity's culture and values.
- Be prepared to discuss your long-term vision for an engineering team.
- Ask thoughtful questions that demonstrate your strategic thinking and interest in the company's future.
- Ensure your overall narrative aligns with the discussions from previous rounds.