Interviewing for the Sr. Manager, GitHub Docs Role

If you’re preparing for an interview for the Sr. Manager, GitHub Docs role, this guide will provide you with a comprehensive overview based on my personal experience. The role involves managing GitHub’s documentation strategy, overseeing a team of technical writers, and ensuring that the developer community has the best resources to engage with GitHub’s products. Here’s what you can expect from the interview process and how you can prepare.

Overview of the Interview Process

The interview process for the Sr. Manager, GitHub Docs position is multi-phased and assesses your leadership skills, technical writing expertise, and ability to align documentation with GitHub’s product goals. Here’s how the process typically unfolds:

1. Initial HR Screening

The first step in the process is usually an HR screening, which focuses on your background, motivations, and alignment with GitHub’s culture. This is where you’ll discuss your experience in technical documentation and leadership.

What to Expect:

• The HR interviewer will likely ask you to describe your experience with managing teams and documentation strategy.
• They will assess your cultural fit with GitHub, particularly around its mission of empowering developers and creating high-quality, accessible documentation.

Sample Questions:

• “Why do you want to work at GitHub, and specifically in this role?”
• “Tell me about your experience leading a team of technical writers.”
• “How do you ensure high-quality documentation while balancing the needs of developers and other stakeholders?”

Tip: Focus on your passion for developer experience and how you’ve helped previous teams produce clear, concise, and valuable documentation. Make sure to express your alignment with GitHub’s culture of open-source collaboration and inclusivity.

2. Leadership & Management Focused Interview

The next stage is likely to be a leadership-focused interview. In this round, the interviewers will dive into your ability to manage teams, align documentation with strategic goals, and your experience in scaling a documentation operation. GitHub places a strong emphasis on team collaboration, so be prepared to showcase your leadership style.

What to Expect:

• You’ll be asked to explain how you manage documentation teams, handle competing priorities, and measure the success of your documentation efforts.
• Expect to discuss examples of how you’ve mentored writers, handled challenges in producing documentation, and how you collaborate with product teams, engineering, and marketing.

Sample Questions:

• “How do you prioritize documentation tasks across multiple teams or projects?”
• “Tell me about a time when you had to handle a difficult situation with a team member or within a team. How did you approach it?”
• “How do you measure the effectiveness of documentation? What metrics do you track?”

In my interview, I was asked to describe how I managed a documentation team during a large-scale product release. I explained how I worked closely with engineering, product, and customer support to ensure we were providing up-to-date and useful documentation that met customer needs.

Tip: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses. Be sure to highlight how you drive results through your leadership while maintaining a collaborative, open environment for your team.

3. Technical Documentation and Strategy Interview

Given that the role is focused on documentation, the next interview will likely assess your understanding of technical writing, your ability to manage a documentation strategy, and how you can improve GitHub Docs. The interviewers will want to know how you’ve handled complex documentation challenges in the past.

What to Expect:

• Expect questions that test your knowledge of best practices in technical writing, particularly for software documentation and developer-focused resources.
• You may be asked to discuss how you would manage a documentation project from start to finish, including content planning, stakeholder alignment, and the technical review process.

Sample Questions:

• “How do you approach creating and maintaining a comprehensive documentation strategy?”
• “What is your process for integrating feedback from engineers and developers into documentation?”
• “Tell me about a time when you had to handle a large-scale update to documentation. How did you ensure accuracy and consistency?”

I was asked to explain how I would handle the documentation for a new GitHub feature that required input from multiple teams. I discussed the steps I’d take to gather input from engineers, product managers, and designers, and how I would structure the documentation to meet the needs of both technical and non-technical audiences.

Tip: Focus on your ability to blend content strategy with execution. Show how you use agile methodologies to manage documentation workflows and handle cross-functional collaboration.

4. Writing Test or Documentation Review

At this stage, GitHub may ask you to do a writing test or documentation review to assess your ability to produce clear, high-quality documentation. This is where you can demonstrate your expertise in simplifying complex topics for a developer audience.

What to Expect:

• You might be given a technical topic or a product feature and asked to create a sample of documentation. The focus will be on clarity, conciseness, and the ability to convey technical details effectively.
• Alternatively, you could be asked to review an existing piece of documentation and provide feedback on how it can be improved.

Sample Task:

• “Write a short guide explaining how to set up GitHub Actions for continuous integration and delivery.”
• “Review a section of GitHub’s documentation on API authentication and suggest improvements.”

Tip: Pay attention to GitHub’s documentation style. Be clear, concise, and avoid jargon where possible. GitHub documentation should be easy to follow for both beginners and experienced developers. Your task will be to balance simplicity with technical accuracy.

5. Final Round with Senior Leadership

In the final round, you may meet with senior leadership, such as the VP of Engineering or the CTO. This round assesses your long-term potential, your alignment with GitHub’s strategic goals, and your ability to contribute to the future direction of GitHub Docs.

What to Expect:

• This interview will likely focus on how you can help GitHub scale its documentation efforts, particularly as new products and features are introduced.
• You may be asked to discuss how you align documentation with overall product goals and ensure it adds value for the broader community.

Sample Questions:

• “What vision do you have for the future of GitHub Docs? How would you improve it?”
• “What is your approach to scaling a documentation team as the company grows?”
• “How do you ensure that GitHub’s documentation stays up-to-date with product releases?”

Tip: Show that you understand GitHub’s mission of empowering developers and fostering open-source collaboration. Demonstrate your ability to contribute to long-term documentation strategies and scalability as GitHub continues to grow.

Key Skills and Competencies

The Sr. Manager, GitHub Docs role requires a blend of technical, managerial, and communication skills. Below is a breakdown of key competencies:

Technical Skills

• Technical Writing: Expertise in writing clear, concise, and accurate technical documentation for developer-focused products.
• Content Strategy: Ability to create and maintain a comprehensive content strategy, balancing long-term goals with day-to-day execution.
• Project Management: Experience managing documentation projects, including defining workflows, setting priorities, and delivering results on time.
• Knowledge of GitHub and Developer Tools: Understanding of GitHub’s products and the developer ecosystem is crucial for writing effective documentation that resonates with users.

Soft Skills

• Leadership: Ability to manage and inspire a team of technical writers, ensuring alignment with organizational goals while fostering a collaborative, inclusive team culture.
• Communication: Strong communication skills, both in writing and verbally, to work effectively with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to handle complex documentation challenges, ensuring content meets the needs of diverse audiences while maintaining accuracy and clarity.

Real-World Examples

Managing a Documentation Overhaul:

In one of my previous roles, I led a project to overhaul the API documentation for a complex system. This involved working with engineering, QA, and product teams to ensure that all changes were accurate and that the documentation was easy for developers to understand. The result was a significant reduction in customer support requests related to the API.

Scaling Documentation with a Growing Team:

At another company, I managed a team of technical writers tasked with creating content for a new product suite. To scale the team effectively, I implemented an agile process where documentation updates were prioritized and tracked using Jira. This helped ensure that we met deadlines and aligned with the product release schedule.

Final Tips

• Research GitHub Docs: Familiarize yourself with the current state of GitHub Docs. Understand its strengths and areas for improvement, and be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to the future of GitHub’s documentation.
• Be Prepared to Discuss Leadership: GitHub places a strong emphasis on collaboration and leadership, so be ready to share specific examples of how you’ve led teams or handled challenges in previous roles.
• Focus on the Developer Experience: GitHub’s documentation is developer-focused, so always keep the end-user (the developer) in mind when discussing your approach to writing or managing docs.