Interviewing for the Senior Manager, Developer Policy Role at GitHub

If you’re preparing for an interview for the Senior Manager, Developer Policy role at GitHub, here’s a comprehensive overview of what the process might look like based on my experience interviewing for this position. I’ll cover the interview stages, questions typically asked, and some practical examples to help you get ready.

Overview of the Interview Process

The interview process for the Senior Manager, Developer Policy role is structured and multi-phase. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:

1. Initial HR Screening

The first round is generally an HR interview where the focus is on understanding your background, motivation for applying, and whether you’re a cultural fit for GitHub. The interviewer will explore your past experiences, specifically looking for:

• Your experience with policy development, especially in tech or developer ecosystems.
• How you align with GitHub’s values of inclusivity, transparency, and empowering developers.

Example questions:

• “Can you walk us through your experience working on developer policy or governance at a previous organization?”
• “What excites you about GitHub’s mission, and how do you see yourself contributing to it?”
• “Why do you think developer policy is important for a company like GitHub?”

This part is mostly about assessing your alignment with GitHub’s culture and your basic qualifications for the role.

2. Technical and Policy Assessment

In this stage, the interviewers will dive deeper into your expertise in developer policy, legal considerations, and your ability to manage developer relations at a strategic level. Expect to discuss both the practical and legal challenges of running a platform like GitHub. You might be asked to provide examples of how you’ve navigated complex policy issues in the past.

Example questions:

• “How would you approach drafting a policy for handling open-source contributions from external parties?”
• “Can you give an example of a time when you had to balance developer freedom with legal and ethical requirements? How did you make that decision?”
• “How do you ensure policies are both developer-friendly and compliant with legal frameworks?”

In my interview, I was asked to discuss the legal implications of user-generated content on platforms like GitHub, especially when it comes to open-source contributions and intellectual property.

3. Leadership and Behavioral Interview

As a Senior Manager, you’re expected to have strong leadership and decision-making skills. This round focuses on your ability to manage cross-functional teams, deal with challenging situations, and make tough policy decisions. You will also be assessed on how well you handle conflict, negotiate with stakeholders, and lead by example.

Behavioral interview questions could include:

• “Describe a time when you had to manage a team through a significant policy change. How did you ensure buy-in from all stakeholders?”
• “Can you give an example of a situation where you disagreed with a senior leader about a policy decision? How did you handle it?”
• “Tell me about a time you had to navigate a legal or ethical dilemma related to developer policy. How did you address it?”

For example, I was asked how I would handle a situation where a popular open-source contributor had violated the terms of service, yet their work was highly valuable to the community. The interviewer was looking for my approach to balancing community needs with company policies.

4. Case Study or Policy Design

This stage could involve presenting a real-world case study or a policy proposal. You may be asked to design a policy for a hypothetical scenario, such as creating a policy for handling user-generated content, moderating abusive behavior in developer forums, or managing a potential conflict between a developer community and the platform’s legal obligations.

Example prompt:

• “Design a policy that addresses how GitHub should handle controversial code submissions, such as code that could potentially harm other users’ systems or violate ethical guidelines.”

This part of the interview assesses not only your technical knowledge but also your ability to think strategically about policy development and its impact on the wider GitHub community.

5. Final Round: Stakeholder and Cultural Fit Interview

In the final interview, you’ll meet with senior leadership, such as the VP of Developer Relations or the Head of Legal. The focus here is to evaluate how well you align with GitHub’s overall strategy and how you would work with senior executives to implement developer policies. You’ll be assessed on your communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.

Expect questions like:

• “How do you handle policy disputes between developers and the platform’s legal team?”
• “What is your approach to balancing the needs of the community with the company’s risk management?”
• “How would you work with product and engineering teams to ensure that new features comply with existing developer policies?”

Key Skills and Competencies

As a Senior Manager in Developer Policy at GitHub, you need to bring a mix of technical knowledge, legal expertise, and excellent communication skills. Here’s a breakdown of the core competencies expected for the role:

Legal and Compliance Knowledge

You should be comfortable with legal aspects, such as intellectual property laws, privacy policies, and regulatory compliance. In one interview question, I was asked to walk through how to handle a legal dispute between an open-source contributor and a company that was using their code.

Policy Development and Advocacy

You need to be skilled in creating and advocating for policies that protect both developers and the platform. The interviewers will want to know how you would approach issues like content moderation, community guidelines, and enforcement.

Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

As a senior manager, you’ll need to work across different teams, including product, legal, marketing, and engineering. In my experience, they looked for examples of how you’ve influenced company-wide initiatives and managed cross-team projects.

Communication and Stakeholder Management

The ability to communicate complex issues clearly is essential. Whether it’s communicating with the developer community or internal stakeholders, you need to be able to explain policy decisions and their rationale in a way that resonates with diverse audiences.

Practical Examples of What to Expect

During my interview, I was asked to provide examples of how I’ve handled:

• Balancing developer needs with platform rules: One example I shared was a situation where I had to create a content moderation policy for a new GitHub feature that allowed users to host live coding events. We had to ensure the feature didn’t become a platform for hate speech, but at the same time, we didn’t want to stifle the free exchange of ideas.

• Creating an open-source contribution policy: I discussed how I worked with legal teams to define clear guidelines on intellectual property for contributors, including licensing, patents, and contributions under different licenses. This was to ensure that the platform could scale while respecting both developers and corporate users’ rights.

• Handling conflicts within the community: I was asked about a time when community feedback clashed with GitHub’s legal requirements. I explained how we facilitated open communication with the community while also ensuring that legal requirements were met, making sure the community felt heard but also abiding by compliance regulations.

Final Tips

• Be prepared to showcase both technical and policy expertise: You’ll need to demonstrate a deep understanding of the developer ecosystem, as well as the legal frameworks that affect GitHub and similar platforms.

• Show your ability to think strategically: GitHub wants senior managers who can not only react to challenges but also anticipate issues and build proactive strategies.

• Prepare for hypothetical scenarios: They’ll want to see how you approach complex, multi-faceted problems that involve legal, ethical, and technical considerations.