Amazon Engineering Manager Interview Experience
Amazon · Mid level
ResultRejected
Timespan2 weeks
DifficultyDifficult
Rounds2
Interview process
I was surprised at the volume of questions in the management screen. I had previously intererviewed at Amazon 3-4 yrs ago and it was 3 or 4 questions. Half of these questions were behavioral and half were management framework/philosophical.
Interview rounds · 2
- 1
Recruiter screen
- Q1. Describe the most complex distributed system you've designed or led the development of. What was the scale (e.g., traffic volume, global regions, number of services), and what was your specific role in the architecture decisions?
- Q2. How many engineers have you directly managed, and for how long? Share a specific example of how you developed or coached an engineer on your team, whether through a performance conversation, a stretch assignment, or a career development discussion.
- Q3. Can you describe a project where your team owned a critical, high-stakes backend system — one where reliability, accuracy, or scale really mattered? What was your role, and what were the key engineering challenges you navigated?
- 2
Phone screen
Behavioral- Q1. Give an example where you had to go through the PIP process.
- Q2. Tell me about a time you were at risk of losing a top performer. What did you do to keep them?
- Q3. How did you grow a top performer in their career?
- Q4. Give me an example where you managed a poor performer. What was the issue, how did you manage it, what was the outcome?
- Q5. How do you set up a new project: scheduling, milestones?
- Q6. Tell me about a failed project you were responsible for.
- Q7. How do you manage individual team members: one-on-ones, that type of thing?
- Q8. How do you manage yourself and your work?
Details
CompanyAmazon
RoleEngineering Manager
LevelMid level
LocationUnited States
InterviewedMar 2026
Questions asked11