Cruise Technical Program Manager Interview Questions
& Process

First, a recruiter screens you. If that goes well, you'll speak with the hiring manager. If those screens are positive, you then move to a panel interview with about 4-5 interviewers. Each interview is 30-45 minutes and focuses on a specific area.

The interview process was pretty straightforward, involving a phone screen, a phone interview, and then an on-site panel with about 5-6 team members and stakeholders. I was quite surprised to get a basic email saying I didn't get the role, especially considering my interview performance. It happens. However, I never received a response when I asked for feedback, which I found very unprofessional for a company of that size, given how attentive the recruiter was earlier on. The interview process itself was fine, though. The main negative for this review is solely due to the lack of follow-up from the team.

The interviewer seemed disengaged and possibly lacked experience as a TPM. The process was described as having three parts: I would talk about myself, he would assess my problem-solving abilities, and then there would be a Q&A. During my introduction, he let me speak for 15 minutes straight without interruption or asking TPM-specific questions, which was quite unusual. When we moved to the problem-solving section, I quickly noticed his technical shortcomings. The scenario involved me asking questions, but he dominated the conversation and didn't allow me to interject. I explained the Doppler effect in the context of object detection for AVs, but he kept referring to it as velocity, showing a lack of understanding of the difference. As I went on to describe the perception, prediction, mapping, and control aspects of AVs, he cut me off abruptly and asked if I had any questions. I asked about 10 questions, partly because I sensed his disengagement and desire to conclude the interview. Despite his demeanor, I took my time with my questions, and he sounded increasingly annoyed. I'm a big admirer of the CEO, Kyle, and was particularly drawn to Cruise after seeing his presentation at MIT this year. However, immediately after the interview, I knew I wouldn't get the job, and frankly, I was put off by the interviewer; the thought of working with him felt like it would be a constant struggle. I'm actually relieved I didn't get an offer.