Scale Engineer

Software Engineering Manager

Software Engineering ManagerL7Hard

Verkada's Software Engineering Manager (L7) interview process is designed to assess leadership potential, technical depth, and strategic thinking. Candidates are evaluated on their ability to manage teams, drive technical excellence, and contribute to the company's growth.

Rounds·4

Timeline·~14d

Experience·8 - 15 yrs

Comp band·US$180000 - US$250000

Interview time·195 min

Evaluation

What they measure.

  • Leadership and people management skills
  • Technical expertise and architectural vision
  • Strategic thinking and business acumen
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Problem-solving and decision-making abilities
  • Cultural fit and alignment with Verkada's values

Preparation

How to prepare.

Tips

  1. Thoroughly review Verkada's mission, values, and products.
  2. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions.
  3. Brush up on system design principles and be ready to discuss architectural trade-offs.
  4. Understand common software development methodologies and best practices.
  5. Research common challenges faced by engineering managers and how you've overcome them.
  6. Be prepared to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you foster a positive team culture.
  7. Familiarize yourself with Verkada's tech stack if possible.
  8. Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely.

Study plan

Fig · Study plan — 03 phases

01 / 03
01

Phase 01 of 03

Company & Leadership Foundations

Weeks 1-2: Company research, leadership frameworks, STAR stories.

Weeks 1-2: Deep dive into Verkada's company culture, values, products, and recent news. Review common leadership frameworks (e.g., Situational Leadership, servant leadership) and management best practices. Prepare foundational STAR stories for common leadership scenarios (e.g., conflict resolution, performance management, motivating teams).

Questions

Commonly asked.

  • Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision that impacted your team. What was the outcome?
  • How do you balance the need for rapid feature development with maintaining code quality and technical debt?
  • Describe your approach to hiring and onboarding new engineers.
  • How do you handle underperforming team members?
  • Walk me through a complex system you designed or significantly contributed to. What were the key challenges and trade-offs?
  • How do you foster a culture of psychological safety and continuous learning within your team?
  • Tell me about a time you had to manage conflicting priorities from different stakeholders. How did you resolve it?
  • What is your strategy for mentoring and growing engineers at different career stages?
  • How do you measure the success of your team and your own effectiveness as a manager?
  • Describe a situation where you had to lead your team through a significant change or challenge.

Locations

Regional differences.

Fig · Regions — 02 locations

01 / 02

Location

Remote/Hybrid

Interview focus

Remote team management strategiesCross-functional collaboration in a distributed environmentBuilding trust and accountability in a remote setup

Common questions

  • How do you handle underperforming engineers 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 culture remotely?

Tips

  • Highlight experience with remote collaboration tools and methodologies.
  • Provide specific examples of successfully managing remote or hybrid teams.
  • Emphasize your ability to maintain team morale and productivity in a distributed setting.

Rounds

Round-by-round.

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

DSA

Coding questions at Verkada.

Frequently reported on Verkada loops

View all at Verkada

Other guides

More at Verkada.