1. What is a Engineering Manager at Tessian?

As an Engineering Manager at Tessian, you are stepping into a role that sits at the intersection of advanced machine learning, cybersecurity, and human behavior. Tessian’s mission is to secure the "Human Layer"—protecting organizations from data breaches caused by human error or malicious attacks via email. This role is not just about managing tickets; it is about leading high-performing teams that build sophisticated, real-time security platforms used by global enterprises.

You will be responsible for the health, growth, and delivery of a cross-functional engineering squad. The engineering culture at Tessian is pragmatic and collaborative, valuing simple solutions to complex problems. You will work closely with Product Managers and Designers to define the roadmap, while simultaneously acting as a mentor and coach to your engineers. The work involves high-scale distributed systems and requires a leader who can balance technical oversight with empathetic people management.

This position is critical because Tessian operates in a high-stakes environment where reliability and speed are paramount. You will influence the technical architecture of the product and shape the culture of the engineering organization. For candidates, this is an opportunity to work on cutting-edge "Human Layer Security" problems while refining your leadership skills in a supportive, growth-oriented environment.

2. Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation is key to navigating the Tessian interview process. You should approach this not just as a test of your knowledge, but as a series of conversations about how you solve problems and lead people. The interviewers are looking for evidence of your ability to foster a psychological safety net for your team while driving technical excellence.

You will be evaluated primarily on the following criteria:

People Management & Leadership You must demonstrate a high EQ and a structured approach to management. Interviewers will assess how you handle conflict, manage underperformance, and support the career growth of your direct reports. You need to show that you can build high-trust relationships and maintain team morale during challenging sprints.

System Design & Technical Pragmatism While you may not be coding day-to-day, you are expected to possess strong architectural skills. Tessian values "minimalistic" and "pragmatic" solutions over over-engineered ones. You will be evaluated on your ability to design scalable systems, make trade-offs, and challenge technical decisions constructively without needing to write code on a whiteboard.

Delivery & Execution You need to show how you move from ambiguity to delivery. This involves your philosophy on Agile processes, how you prioritize work, and how you collaborate with stakeholders (like Product and Design) to ensure the team delivers value consistently.

Culture Fit & Values Tessian places a heavy emphasis on their values, particularly regarding collaboration and "Human Layer" thinking. You will be assessed on your humility, your ability to communicate clearly, and your genuine interest in the cybersecurity mission.

3. Interview Process Overview

The interview process for an Engineering Manager at Tessian is thorough but structured, typically spanning 3 to 4 weeks. Based on recent candidate data, the process has evolved to be fully remote-friendly and highly interactive. The goal is to give you a realistic preview of what it is like to work with the team, rather than to trick you with brain teasers.

Expect a multi-round process that usually begins with a screening call with a Talent Acquisition Partner or the Head of Engineering. If successful, you will move to a series of specialized rounds. These usually include a deep-dive System Design session with technical leads, a People Management round with peer EMs, and a final Culture/Values assessment. The scheduling is generally flexible, and communication from the recruiting team is reported to be responsive and professional.

Unlike some competitors who may ask for take-home coding assignments for managers, Tessian’s recent process focuses on live discussions and whiteboarding. The atmosphere is described as professional and friendly, with interviewers who are eager to answer your questions. However, be prepared for a rigorous assessment of your past experiences; "stories" from your previous roles will be scrutinized to understand your actual impact.

This timeline illustrates the typical flow from application to offer. Note that the "System Design" and "Management & Leadership" rounds are the core of the evaluation. You should manage your energy to ensure you are as sharp for the final behavioral rounds as you are for the initial technical discussions.

4. Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed, you must prepare specifically for the distinct types of interviews you will face. Recent candidates report that interviewers are pragmatic and experienced, so theoretical answers often fall flat compared to real-world examples.

System Design & Architecture

This round typically involves working with senior engineers or technical leads. You will be presented with an open-ended problem and asked to design a solution.

Be ready to go over:

• Pragmatic Design: Focus on the simplest solution that meets the requirements. Candidates have received positive feedback for proposing "minimalistic solutions."
• Scalability & Reliability: Discuss how your design handles failure, spikes in traffic, and data consistency.
• Trade-offs: explicitly state why you are choosing one technology or pattern over another (e.g., SQL vs. NoSQL, Event-driven vs. REST).

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Design a system that processes millions of emails in real-time to detect anomalies."
• "How would you architect a notification system that ensures delivery without spamming users?"
• "We need to scale our ingestion pipeline. Walk us through a minimalistic approach to handle 10x traffic."

People Management & Leadership

This is arguably the most critical round for an EM. You will speak with other Engineering Managers or the Head of Engineering. The focus is on your "war stories" and your management philosophy.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution: Specific examples of how you mediated disputes between engineers or between engineering and product.
• Performance Management: How you identify struggling engineers and the steps you take to help them improve (or exit).
• Team Growth: How you mentor senior engineers vs. junior engineers.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to manage a conflict between two team members. How did you resolve it?"
• "Describe a situation where you had to deliver bad news to your team."
• "How do you balance technical debt with new feature development when pressure is high?"

Culture & Stakeholder Management

Often conducted by Talent Acquisition or a cross-functional leader, this round assesses whether you add to the Tessian culture.

Be ready to go over:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: working with Product Managers, Sales, and Customer Success.
• Values Alignment: demonstrating humility, curiosity, and a drive for excellence.
• Communication Style: your ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

5. Key Responsibilities

As an Engineering Manager at Tessian, your day-to-day work balances strategic planning with tactical execution. You are the bridge between the business goals and the engineering implementation.

Your primary responsibility is the people management of a squad of engineers. This includes holding regular 1:1s, conducting performance reviews, and creating career development plans. You are expected to be a force multiplier, removing blockers and ensuring your team has the context they need to be autonomous and effective.

Beyond people, you own the delivery of your team. You will collaborate closely with Product Managers to scope projects, estimate timelines, and manage risks. You are not expected to code critical path features, but you must remain technical enough to participate in code reviews, facilitate RFC (Request for Comments) discussions, and guide architectural decisions. You will also play a significant role in hiring, helping to source and interview new talent to grow the organization.

6. Role Requirements & Qualifications

Tessian looks for leaders who have "been there and done that" but remain hands-on in their thinking.

• Must-have skills:

  • Proven Management Experience: 2+ years of experience directly managing software engineers (hiring, firing, performance reviews).
  • Technical Background: A strong background in software engineering (ideally typically Python, Node, or React environments) with the ability to lead system design discussions.
  • Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to articulate "why" behind decisions.
  • Agile Fluency: Deep understanding of modern software development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and how to adapt them to a team's needs.

• Nice-to-have skills:

  • Domain Knowledge: Experience in cybersecurity, email infrastructure, or high-compliance environments.
  • Scale: Experience managing teams in a high-growth startup or scale-up environment.
  • Distributed Systems: Hands-on experience scaling data-intensive applications.

7. Common Interview Questions

The following questions are drawn from candidate data and are representative of what you can expect at Tessian. They are designed to test your experience patterns rather than your ability to memorize facts.

Behavioral & Situational

• "How do you manage conflict within your team?"
• "Tell me about a time you made a mistake as a manager. How did you handle it?"
• "Give an example of how you have supported a high-performer in their career growth."
• "Describe a time you disagreed with a Product Manager. What was the outcome?"

Technical Strategy & System Design

• "Design a system to ingest and analyze email headers at scale."
• "How would you approach a legacy system migration while keeping the business running?"
• "Propose a minimalistic solution for a secure document sharing feature."

Culture & Motivation

• "Why do you want to join Tessian specifically?"
• "What is the most challenging feedback you have ever received?"
• "How do you ensure your team maintains a healthy work-life balance during a crunch period?"

These questions are based on real interview experiences from candidates who interviewed at this company. You can practice answering them interactively on Dataford to better prepare for your interview.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there a coding round for Engineering Managers? Generally, no. Recent data indicates that the technical rounds focus on System Design and architectural discussion on a whiteboard. You are expected to know the technology, but you likely won't be writing executable code.

Q: Is this role remote or onsite? Tessian has adopted a flexible approach. Recent interview experiences from 2021 and 2022 highlight that the interview process is fully remote. The role itself typically supports hybrid or remote work, but you should clarify the specific expectations for your squad during the recruiter screen.

Q: How long does the process take? The process is relatively efficient. Most candidates report a timeline of 3 to 4 weeks from the first call to the final decision. Delays are rare, but communication is generally transparent.

Q: What is the feedback culture like during interviews? Candidates report that interviewers are polite and professional, but detailed feedback after a rejection is not guaranteed. While some candidates received positive feedback, others received standard templates. Do not hesitate to ask for specific feedback if you have built a rapport with the hiring manager.

9. Other General Tips

• Be Pragmatic, Not Academic: In the system design round, avoid over-engineering. Interviewers at Tessian appreciate "minimalistic" solutions that solve the immediate problem efficiently. Explain your trade-offs clearly.
• Prepare Your "Stories": The behavioral rounds are heavily based on past experiences. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Have specific examples ready for conflict, failure, and mentorship.
• Know the Mission: Tessian is mission-driven regarding "Human Layer Security." Research what this means. showing you understand the product's value proposition will set you apart from candidates who treat this as just another SaaS role.
• Ask Questions: Candidates who engaged in a two-way dialogue and asked insightful questions about the team structure and challenges received positive remarks.

10. Summary & Next Steps

Becoming an Engineering Manager at Tessian is a chance to lead in a high-impact, technically challenging environment. The role requires a unique blend of technical pragmatism and high emotional intelligence. By preparing your system design fundamentals and reflecting deeply on your management history, you can position yourself as the leader they need.

The compensation for this role is competitive and typically includes a mix of base salary and equity, reflecting the strategic importance of the position. Ensure you discuss the full package, including benefits and remote work stipends, early in the process to align expectations.

Focus your preparation on simplicity in design and authenticity in leadership. The interviewers want to see the real you—the manager who can navigate the messy reality of software delivery with grace and skill. Good luck! For more insights and community-sourced interview data, visit Dataford.