The process started with a very good screening session conducted by the talent acquisition specialist. He was very kind, provided a lot of information about the company and the role, and truly created a good impression of my profile.

The next step was a system design interview. The engineers were more focused on my thought process than on the actual outcome. They challenged me without making me feel uncomfortable.

After that, I had a coding challenge. As this position doesn't require coding, they didn't delve deeply into technical questions. They wanted to confirm my solid understanding of software programming principles.

Then, the director of the department interviewed me. It was a very pleasant conversation where they learned about my managerial experience and style, while I was invited to ask questions about the position.

Last but not least, I met my future line manager. This was again a very pleasant conversation to get to know each other.

System Design: SQL vs. No-SQL databases, how to scale a database, UUIDs, interaction between backend components, database sharding, etc.

Coding: Recursion, data structures, complexity, basic code optimization, etc.

Cultural Fit and Managerial: Dealing with low performers, managing style, description of my background, reasons to be a manager, etc.