Software Development Manager Interview Experience - Seattle, Washington
Process
The recruiter connected with me through LinkedIn and invited me for the SDM interview process. I had a first-round phone interview with the SDM. There were a lot of "Tell me" type questions and a simple system scalability design question.
I was invited to the loop interview, which was very well structured. The recruiter prepared me well for a successful interview. I liked how everything was well-structured.
During the loop interview, there were many questions related to Amazon LP principles and design questions (scalable systems).
It went very well, and I received a call from the recruiter five days after the loop interview. The team wants me to consider an IC L6 (I think SDE3) role instead of the SDM role. They felt I have very strong technical and design skills. I don't know what to do at this stage :(
Questions
Signed NDA, but it's mostly from LP. Lots of "Tell me..." type questions.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 3 interview experiences for the Amazon Software Development Manager role in Seattle, Washington.
Success Rate
Amazon's interview process for their Software Development Manager roles in Seattle, Washington is fairly selective, failing a large portion of engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Amazon's Software Development Manager interview process in Seattle, Washington.
Amazon Work Experiences
- 3.0Good Pay, Bad Mental HealthSoftware Development Manager • Former EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesSeptember 24, 2025Pros: They pay well, generally speaking.Cons: Had a negative effect on my mental health.
- 3.0Chaotic But Autonomous TeamsSoftware Development Manager • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesJuly 10, 2025Pros: Good pay. Teams are highly autonomous.Cons: Too chaotic. Too much bureaucracy.
- 5.0Still pretty greatSoftware Development Manager • Current EmployeeSeattle, Washington, United StatesMay 6, 2025Pros: I've worked at Amazon for several years. The pros are: * The people are wicked smart. * The environment does keep changing (this is a preference, but I would much rather work in a continually changing environment than one where things stay the same). * The leadership principles are still the currency of discussion.Cons: Things that are less great are: * The compensation has started to slow down as the company becomes really large. * Promotion opportunities are much rarer because there are many candidates at every role/level. * There's a formality in the communications that feels Day 2.
Amazon Interview Questions
