33 IT Delivery Manager Interview Questions & Answers
Below is a list of our IT Delivery Manager interview questions. Click on any interview question to view our answer advice and answer examples. You may view 5 answer examples before our paywall loads. Afterwards, you'll be asked to upgrade to view the rest of our answers.
Behavioral
1. Describe some of the behaviors you leverage to foster high-performance teams.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers are often assigned to leadership roles of gifted and talented individuals. Interviewers who ask this question seek leaders that can inspire their teams to perform their best and collaborate well.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid techniques that only demonstrate one specific style of inspirational or leadership behavior. Interviewers are interested in hiring candidates with the ability to deploy various techniques that align with the unique members of each team they work with.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I use a number of techniques to inspire performance within a team. First, I believe it is wrong to ask my teammates to do anything I am unwilling to do myself. I continually monitor my own contributions, I own my mistakes, and I take steps to improve. If we have a superstar performer on the team, I look to match their pace. If not, I set the bar myself.
Secondly, I like to ask individuals what motivates them and what type of environment they thrive in. I use the information I gather to change up the approach I take so that there is a solid fit for everyone over time. This may include things like offering praise for a job well done, developing challenges or milestones to meet, introducing new things to learn, continual progress checks, taking a hands-off approach, protecting the team from outside influences, team building activities, time off rewards, etc.
Finally, I like to meet with my team regularly to discuss openly what is working well and what we need to improve upon. I ensure them that we have those conversations in a comfortable way in which everyone understands we are accountable for success as a team. Taking the time to discuss issues and develop a plan to avoid them in the future really helps to clear the air and inspire continual transformation."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Behavioral
2. Please provide examples of how you have helped your clients feel valued, respected, and supported.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Delivery managers are often required to perform customer service-related functions. Interviewers who ask this question are interested in a candidate's ability to demonstrate the soft skills necessary to provide the level of service required by the role.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid answers that focus solely on common support processes such as ticket resolution procedures to demonstrate your customer service skills. Interviewers seek candidates who consistently go beyond what is required in a client setting and want to know what unique value you can add to the customer experience.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I believe in treating everyone I work with in any capacity with respect. I make it a point to show the same respect to all of my clients regardless of their title, role, or background. For example, I am known for shadowing junior-level resources to allow them to offer feedback and share concerns. I find the time spent with individuals in these end-user roles adds tremendous value to a successful delivery process.
I have demonstrated that I feel my clients are valued in a number of ways. I have personally thanked them for their contributions to my team's efforts. I have captured metrics to show how the changes they have made to processes and workflows have generated value. I have also held meetings with their management to offer positive feedback.
In regards to support, I am a believer in end-to-end ownership for the projects I work on. I let my customers know they can reach out to me to let me know about anything going on, even if I am not directly responsible. They know they can count on me to help facilitate a solution on their behalf. I also take the time to listen. Sometimes clients just need to be heard, and offering them an outlet to vent with someone who shows empathy and concern goes a long way."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Behavioral
3. What are some methods you would use to build relationships as delivery manager at a new company?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Relationship-building skills are essential to the success of a delivery manager. Interviewers ask this question to understand how a candidate would approach building relationships within a new company or with external clients.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid single strategy answers when discussing how you would build relationships with stakeholders. Delivery managers directly rely on the efforts from various internal and external groups in order to be successful, and it is expected that a variety of techniques would need to be deployed in order to be effective.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"When starting at a new company I would first reach out to my peers and management to understand how things work internally. I would use these discussions to determine a strategy for internal group outreach as well as customer outreach.
I would then use a mix of formal and informal check-in meetings to discuss the current state of what is working well and what needs to be improved. I would ask if there are specific actions I could take to ensure a positive working relationship going forward. I would also engage in end-user shadowing where possible. I find that spending time with end-users goes a long way towards building trust and establishing a valuable information stream.
Finally, I like to engage with clients or co-workers in a social setting where appropriate. I enjoy coordinating team-building activities and client meals or events to get to know the people I work with better. Taking the time to learn something personal about a co-worker or client quickly adds value and helps to build a solid communication foundation."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
4. Are you comfortable with travel to client sites?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This question often serves as a method to narrow large pools of candidates. Most companies believe it is important to determine a candidate's comfort level with travel scenarios upfront and may include this question in a phone screen interview.
Interviewers expect answers such as 'occasional,' or 'up to (X percent) of the time.' Many delivery manager assignments require travel to various client sites and will include the job requirement details within the job description of a specific role.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid going into an interview without considering the potential for domestic and international travel. Answers that indicate that you are unsure about your travel comfort level may result in a company that requires regular travel to exclude you from additional interviews.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have experience visiting various travel sites domestically and internationally for discovery, sales, and implementation efforts. I am comfortable with occasional travel."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
5. What kind of leader are you?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Interviewers ask this question to learn more about a candidate's leadership style. Companies value various approaches, and it is important to match the right leader with the right team.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid indicating you prefer a dictatorial leadership style. While this style is necessary and effective in some cases, it is often avoided or viewed negatively.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I am a hybrid leader. My style changes depending on what is needed to add value to the team experience at any given time. I enjoy serving as a coach, motivator, and facilitator. I especially enjoy leading in this way with teammates who perform roles I have extensive experience with. I have a passion for helping others grow their careers and find their path to success.
I enjoy working with other visionary and transformational leaders and I strive to use these skills in my own approach. The rate of change in IT is incredibly high and being comfortable being uncomfortable, helping others adapt, and developing the next big picture strategy are all aspects of my job that I love.
I least enjoy bureaucratic or authoritarian types of leadership. I find it is necessary to use these styles in performance issue situations, or when there are conflicts that cannot be settled in any other way. However, I first look for ways to use democratic and supportive approaches to avoid people feeling like they are being managed. I would much rather them feel they are co-creating their own experience."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
6. What vendor selection experience do you have?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This question is asked by interviewers who anticipate the need for an IT delivery manager to drive or participate in the section of a technology solution that will be purchased. Vendor selection efforts can be complex and lengthy initiatives. It can be essential for a candidate to have experience in the main phases involved.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid detailing the areas of vendor selection that you were not personally involved in during an interview. Interviewers understand that companies share the responsibilities of this process differently and know that a generally knowledgeable candidate can quickly come up to speed to meet their specific needs.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have led vendor selection initiatives for large and quick-hit solutions. I have experience facilitating the business requirement discussions, researching potential vendors, developing RFI and RFP documents, facilitating presentations, developing a scorecard to compare vendors, and serving as a technical subject matter expert during contract negotiation."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
7. Describe a time when you served as a mentor in a professional setting.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers are often required to lead through influence and counsel others. Additionally, delivery managers may be required to teach and assess the performance of team members. Interviewers ask this question to ensure the candidate they select has the soft skills necessary to perform these duties.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid indicating that you have not served as a mentor if you have not formally served in this capacity. Interviewers understand that time spent training or counseling others informally can qualify as mentoring experience.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have served as a mentor many times, and I have also had several mentors. My favorite mentoring opportunities have involved working with interns. I worked as an intern for a company that did not typically hire recent college graduates. They began an internship program to determine if newly graduated candidates could perform well enough to meet the demands of their company. I loved working there, and they hired me after college.
I stayed involved in the internship program and worked directly with several interns over the years. I mentored them on their professionalism, how to tackle various work assignments, and offered advice on handling specific client situations. They shadowed me, and I assigned and assessed their work. I also helped them frame out where they wanted to go professionally after graduating. Several of the interns I mentored went on to roles within my company, and others were successful in finding roles that were a better fit for their style and needs. I really enjoyed giving back to a program that helped me launch my career."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
8. What experience do you have with designing and developing technology solutions?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers are not always involved in the design and development of the solutions they implement, but they are often involved in explaining the capabilities and impact of technology solutions to their clients. Interviewers who ask this question want to ensure the candidate they select has the knowledge necessary to perform these tasks, and in some cases, participate directly in the process of solution development.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid making the assumption your experience in this area is not valuable if you did not develop the solutions your teams were responsible for. Analytical roles directly support the scale, feasibility, and requirements for technology solutions. Many companies value this experience and would consider a candidate who understands the logical process of design in lieu of actual development.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I began my career as a business systems analyst. I was responsible for gathering business requirements and translating them into specifications for custom software solutions. I helped our development team design the solutions we implemented, and I also participated in code reviews and testing. I have experience working on teams that developed cloud solutions, web apps, mobile apps, and analytic solutions for customers across multiple lines of business including HR, finance, accounting, and operations-based groups.
My development experience is limited. I have experience writing queries and analyzing large data sets. I have also developed reports and dashboards for customers using tools like Tableau."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
9. What is the largest budget you have had responsibility for?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers are responsible for the successful delivery of initiatives with large budgets in many cases. Interviewers ask this question to assess whether or not a candidate has experience working with the appropriate scale of projects for the role they intend to fill.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid inflating the scale of projects you worked on. Companies sometimes verify this information with previous employers or references.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"Internally, I was a program manager responsible for an annual $4 million dollar operating and capital budget. I also oversaw multi-million dollar equipment and vendor software purchases in this role, but the number for these purchases varied depending on the needs of the client.
I also worked as a project manager for a company that sold SaaS solutions. The largest project I managed there was a multi-phased $6 million dollar project."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
10. What experience do you have leading project managers?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some IT delivery managers are responsible for assigning work, providing guidance, and the assessing performance of resources working in project management roles. This question is asked to determine if a candidate has experience leading or managing within this domain.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid discussion of general leadership for roles such as engineers, analysts, or product owners when answering this question. Project managers are responsible for a specific set of duties and experience managing other roles is not necessarily applicable to this question.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"In my last job I was a program manager and I was responsible for setting the work direction of two project managers. Additionally, I was responsible for the project-related feedback on their annual performance reviews.
We worked together to develop high-level strategies and met regularly to discuss resource needs, customer issues, and challenges. The PMs I managed came to me for the escalation of any project-related issues, and I met with their executive stakeholders regularly to ensure we collectively provided excellent customer service."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
11. Do you have experience leading virtual teams?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some companies have teams composed of resources that work from multiple locations. Interviewers ask this question to evaluate a candidate's ability to lead and facilitate in a virtual team setting.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid describing the virtual experience you performed before you had leadership responsibilities. While that experience may be relevant, this question aims to understand your ability to lead individuals in a virtual setting.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"Yes. As a scrum master, I led hybrid teams that had a mix of resources that were located together in an office and resources that worked from home or other locations. I was responsible for facilitating conference calls, online meetings and other team ceremonies virtually. I have also led teams as a project manager that were completely virtual. I have experience driving the typical meetings for a project team as well as hosting online team-building events. Additionally, I have worked with many clients in a virtual setting. I am comfortable facilitating meetings, delivering training sessions, and executing implementation tasks virtually."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
12. What specific roles have you held on the various programs or projects you have served in a leadership capacity?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Resource roles and team structures vary widely within companies. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate has previously performed in a leadership role with the types of resources that the delivery manager candidate will be working with.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid listing roles you performed before you had leadership responsibilities. While that experience may be relevant, this question aims to understand your ability to lead individuals in certain roles.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I worked as a lead analyst on several projects. I focused mainly on custom web applications that served business operations clients. I was responsible for training, mentoring, work assignment, and performance review of the junior analysts that worked on my teams.
I worked as a project manager in the same space and served in a leadership capacity across the development teams I served. I was typically assigned to more than one project at a time and led a team of analysts, engineers, and quality assurance testers. I was responsible for tracking progress, resolving team issues, and working directly with the client to set goals and deliver upon them.
I served as a scrum master for a team that developed CMS integration solutions. In that leadership role, I ensured the team understood Scrum and that we followed the process in a way that improved the quality of our work. I trained, mentored, and removed roadblocks for team members."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
13. Describe your experience managing large-scale applications and projects across multiple product lines and businesses involving significant scope and complexity.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
This is a general experience question. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate has experience managing efforts on the scale that aligns with the needs of their organization.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid inflating the scale of projects you worked on. Companies may verify this information with previous employers or references.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I served as the delivery manager for a large technology consolidation initiative. Our company was purchased and merged with a number of companies that had similar systems. My teams supported several vendors and custom resource scheduling and assignment management tools. The executive leadership of our new owners determined that there was an opportunity to discover which solutions in this space could be implemented in a standard way that would reduce redundancies. It was decided that some of the solutions my team managed were best-in-class and would be used across several of the groups from the other companies we merged with.
I was asked to lead the consolidation initiative from a program management perspective. I was responsible for facilitating steering committee meetings, driving the discovery process, and working with individual teams to develop strategies for onboarding them onto the technology solutions my team supported. This included working with operations, finance, accounting, HR, and several technology groups."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
14. What strategic planning techniques do you have experience facilitating?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT projects are typically focused on developing quality and valuable solutions quickly. Properly developing a high-level strategy is critical in this fast-paced environment. Interviewers seek delivery manager candidates with experience using quick-hit strategic planning methods.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid describing strategic planning methodologies that require a lengthy discovery process. Client budgets do not typically allow for this type of detailed analysis.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have experience facilitating SWOT analysis sessions. In these sessions, we develop lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and then determine their impact on the business. I have also worked with the OKR model to develop objectives and key results. This model is useful for helping me develop the key performance indicators for the products I am responsible for. Additionally, I have worked with stakeholders to develop implementation strategies and roadmaps. I also facilitated user story mapping sessions when I worked as a scrum master."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
15. Describe your executive or senior management presentation experience.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Many companies rely on delivery managers to work directly with senior stakeholders. Interviewers want to ensure that candidates can present the right level of detail in a way that is easily understood by this important audience.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid arrogant responses to this question. Executive-level presentations require confidence, but also benefit from the demonstration of humility.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"In my last role, I was responsible for developing and maintaining implementation roadmaps. I regularly presented these to senior executives within client organizations who were responsible for budget approval. During these meetings, I communicated the vision for the entire solution, the investment needs, and the projected ROI information.
I appreciated the direct communication style of the executives I worked with. I learned to customize my presentation style to match the style of their company. I found that these presentations were a perfect time to set the expectations around the support our team would need in partnering with them to onboard their company successfully."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
16. Describe an operational improvement you delivered that had a significant financial impact.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Many technology implementations are meant to drive operational efficiencies and cost savings. Interviewers who ask this question are interested to understand the scale of change the implementations a candidate was involved in had on this area of their client's business.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid answers focused on improvements that you were not directly involved in. For example, a client electing to reduce staff headcount due to departmental restructuring would not necessarily demonstrate the operational impact of a delivery manager.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"As an engineer, I worked on a project to automate several resource management functions. Our main client was responsible for all of the management reporting, payroll, and billing functions. They had a system that held all of their resource assignment and cost data within it. The reporting functionality within it was obsolete and the operations team spent roughly sixty percent of their working time a month pulling data from the system, consolidating it in Excel, and running calculations and pivot tables in order to develop the dashboard reporting they needed for executives.
They would ask me constantly to run queries for them and it took time away from the development of the project work I was assigned to. I did some research and found that Tableau had the ability to generate over 85% of the executive reporting functions they needed. Additionally, the tool would be easy for my team to support because the operations team could generate their own reports once I set up a data feed.
For the price of a few Tableau licenses, we saved over $30k in my time each year. We also cut their team's reporting and analysis time in half in the first year. They were also able to reduce their freelance headcount. Additionally, the executives of the group were able to learn some Tableau basics and gather answers to their own questions on the fly. This helped them to make quick data-driven decisions resulting in operational improvements and cost savings as well."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Discovery
17. What roles have you served in on the various technology projects you were assigned to?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers can have a wide variety of roles within their professional backgrounds. Some candidates are more technical while others have more business experience. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate's blend of experience is in alignment with the specific needs of their company.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid answering this question with a simple list of titles. Companies use similar titles for roles that can be wildly different from a responsibility perspective. Offering high-level information about the duties and impact you had in each role can help the interviewer determine if you are a fit for their opportunity.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I began my IT career as a software engineer. I mostly developed custom web applications that supported enterprise and operational needs. I moved up to a tech lead role responsible for mentoring and assigning work to junior developers and the architecture complex solutions. I also served as our team's scrum master.
From there, I transitioned into project management and delivery management roles responsible for the delivery of SaaS solutions. I met with clients during the sales process and helped to define a solution strategy. I then served as a central point of contact all the way through the onboarding process. I tracked the progress and performance of our team, I resolved scope and budget-related issues, and I performed a number of technical tasks such as assisting with the scripting of data loads."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Education
18. What certifications or education do you have that are relevant to your work as a delivery manager?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some delivery manager roles require specific certification such as scrum master, PMP, ITIL, Six Sigma, or certified scrum product owner. Interviewers who ask this question seek to gain details on the certifications and educational background a candidate could apply to their work in the delivery manager role.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Do not list certifications that are expired. Many companies validate certifications or may ask for proof of certification. Confusion in this area may lead to an interviewer excluding a candidate from further interviews.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I am a certified scrum master and I am also ITIL V4 certified. I am well educated on SAFe methods. We used several SAFe techniques in my last company. I have taken classes in project management, product backlog management, facilitation, and leadership. All of these knowledge areas would benefit my work as a delivery manager."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Leadership
19. Please describe your leadership experience.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some delivery managers are direct managers of individuals within the companies they work for. Alternative models usually require delivery managers to perform leadership activities even if direct management is not required. Interviewers ask this question to determine if the scope and scale of a candidate's leadership experience are in alignment with the needs of their organization.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid communicating you have a general lack of experience in the event you did not have explicit leadership responsibilities in your previous roles. Delivery managers are expected to have a professional background that includes leadership through influence, inspiration, coaching, or facilitation.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"As an analyst, I oversaw the work of junior analysts and led large analysis and consultation initiatives. I was the direct manager of three analysts before I transitioned into project management. In that role, I led small to medium-sized development teams that consisted of analysts, engineers, and testers. I was responsible for the overall success of the team and for maintaining a quality customer experience. Additionally, I have served as a scrum master and successfully facilitated the scrum process for several large-scale implementations."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Operational
20. What steps do you take to identify post-engagement opportunities with a client?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers serve on the front line of the project they deliver. They often own client communication and interviewers who work for companies involved in technology sales are interested to know how a candidate would identify opportunities to generate additional revenue.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid responses that are solely focused on revenue generation. Companies also value relationship building and offering excellent customer service.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"The first step I take in a post-engagement setting is to hold regular check-ins with my client to ensure their solution adoption experience is running smoothly. I take the time to listen to their stories and determine if there is anything I can do to add value. This might include scheduling additional training or assisting with configuration changes.
After some time has passed, I check in again to see how things are going and determine if any add-on opportunities exist. Clients often wish to expand their feature sets after a successful initial launch and I work with them to develop a strategy for the next phase of their use in other areas of their company. I also review any issues they are having to determine if there is anything we can do for them from a customer support perspective. I am usually able to uncover a few opportunities that take just a bit of effort on our part but go a long way toward customer satisfaction.
Finally, I make sure to update our internal teams on any lessons I learn when working with specific clients. Developing best practices and honoring client preferences helps to ensure that future engagements go more smoothly."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Operational
21. What is your process for learning a new line of business?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some delivery managers are assigned to ensure the successful delivery of solutions that serve lines of business they are not an expert in. In these cases, delivery managers are expected to quickly learn the basic operations of their customers so that they can properly assess the impact of their delivery plans. Interviewers ask this question to ensure a candidate has a strategy for obtaining this information.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid an answer that indicates you would need to rely heavily on your clients to give you all the knowledge you need. Delivery managers should be able to dig in and analyze the workflows and artifacts of a business quickly with limited supervision.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"The first thing I do when I have the opportunity to learn a new business area is doing some research on my own. I focus on understanding industry standards, industry terms, and common challenges. I then meet with my new stakeholders, or clients to discuss the scope of the project, the goals, timing, and whatever else they are concerned with.
If time permits, I like to shadow the people in the end-user roles that the solutions I deliver impact the most. This helps me to understand how the delivery of new solutions will affect them going forward. I also gain access to their systems and documentation and review them."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Situational
22. Imagine you are assigned to manage the delivery of a series of solutions for an at-risk account. What are the first steps you would take?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Delivery managers are sometimes called upon to save at-risk implementations from failure. Interviewers who ask this question want to ensure the candidate they select understands how to properly navigate this difficult scenario.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid any answer details that indicate you would participate in gossip about the previously assigned teams. Stepping into at-risk projects requires sensitivity and maturity, and interviewers may exclude a candidate that demonstrates a lack of humility and wisdom in this area.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"The first thing I do when I am assigned to step into an at-risk situation is meet with the internal team that was previously involved to understand the history of the situation from their perspective. I listen neutrally because I understand there are often multiple sides and factors involved.
The second thing I do is reach out to the clients personally. If possible, I like to do this in person. I ask them to be as honest as possible and let me know what has happened and what their concerns are. I do not challenge their feelings or experiences even if I have information from the other side that discounts their opinions. I demonstrate empathy, and if appropriate, I apologize for any painful experiences they have had on behalf of my company. From there, I try to explain my experience in working in situations like these at a high level. I find this can help to begin to build confidence and trust.
The last initial step I would take is to develop a specific tactical action plan to begin to alleviate their concerns and demonstrate progress. This may include offering some sort of good faith service, or ensuring a set of action items is completed. I follow through on those commitments as quickly as possible and then take whatever steps are necessary to get the project back to where it needs to be."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
23. What cloud technologies do you have experience with?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Some IT delivery managers are required to manage cloud deployments or ensure proper use of cloud technologies by third-party vendors. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate has exposure to the types of cloud solutions their company relies upon currently or plans to use in the future.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Do not include a particular cloud technology in your answer if you did not have direct interaction with it previously. Interviewers who require specific experience in this area are likely to ask detailed follow-up questions that would directly expose your lack of experience.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I served as a project manager for a team that used Amazon's AWS Lambda services for cloud computing. The team previously wrote custom jobs for all of their processing, and the switch saved a lot of time and money after we made it past the initial learning curve. I helped with the processing logic and worked with the customers to determine the timing for chronological jobs and the impact of run failures.
I have also worked with teams who use Microsoft Azure for various functions. I was not involved in the development of these solutions, but I helped our customers understand the impact of transitioning from our previous solutions to these cloud-based solutions. My team uses Azure for load balancing, deployment, virtual machines, and database functions."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
24. Do you have experience with ITIL?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework to ensure the quality of IT activities such as service management, service delivery, and asset management. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate has the experience, education, or certification necessary to perform service delivery duties within their ITIL framework implementation.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid framing general service delivery experience as ITIL experience. ITIL professionals take classes and are often certified in this area. Interviewers may ask follow-up questions related to specific terms or processes that could easily expose dishonesty in this area.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I am ITIL version four certified. We used ServiceNow at my last company to help us streamline ITSM workflows. I was also trained on ITIL version three. I appreciate that version four focuses on setting the stage for the co-creation of value between the customer and a service organization. This shift in mentality went a long way towards fostering the empowerment of our customers to directly participate in the process and enhancing the value of the services they received."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
25. Describe your experience partnering with internal teams involved in the enterprise delivery process such as security, DevOps, cloud, database, operations, and support.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers are expected to understand the end-to-end processes involved in technology implementation. This often requires coordinating efforts between several IT groups in a large enterprise setting. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a candidate has the facilitation experience necessary to drive a successful enterprise-level implementation.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid inflating your answer if your work experience lies within smaller companies. Interviewers who ask this can verify the details of your answer with references or by reviewing your resume.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I worked on a custom solution development team within a large enterprise for 11 years. I served as an engineer and then as a project manager. In my time there, I coordinated discovery, design, testing, and delivery efforts with several groups. This included working with architecture, database administration, release management, quality assurance, network administration, and support groups."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
26. What agile methodologies have you worked with directly?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
IT delivery managers work directly with project teams that leverage various development methodologies. Many companies have implemented agile development practices. Interviewers who ask this question seek candidates who have experience working within models such as Scrum, SAFe, or Kanban.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid listing methodologies you have not actually worked with as a functioning team member. Each agile methodology has its own specific processes and vocabulary that interviewers would expect a candidate with the experience to know.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have experience with several agile methodologies. I worked as an analyst supporting rapid application development. I was responsible for the business and process modeling phases for those teams. I had the opportunity to work with Kanban at my last company. Our maintenance and support teams used it and I was often called upon to assist with analysis and testing. However, most of my agile experience lies within Scrum. I am a certified scrum master and I also have experience working in the product owner role."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
27. Do you have scrum master or SAFe experience?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Delivery managers partner with or work within technical teams that use a variety of development methodologies. Interviewers who ask this question seek candidates that have experience working in roles specific to agile methodologies commonly used in corporate development settings.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid framing experience in another role such as project management for scrum master experience. The scrum master role performs specific functions within a scrum development team, and interviewers will easily identify responses that stretch experience not directly aligned with the role in question.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I am a certified scrum master. I served in this role for three years with various teams. I aided teams and customers in their transition from waterfall to scrum.
I do not have formal SAFe training. However, I worked in a large enterprise during my time as a scrum master. We used several techniques to scale our efforts before SAFe was an official methodology. For example, I facilitated scrum of scrum meetings for a large initiative to integrate and consolidate several systems after the company I worked for bought a smaller company. Additionally, we were required to develop roadmaps, report to a program management office, and we used several of the other management techniques applied in SAFe today."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
28. Do you have Salesforce, or other customer relationship management solution experience?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions are a major area of integration and implementation responsibility for IT delivery managers in some companies. Interviewers who ask this question seek candidates that have managed these types of tools and/or implementations.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Many companies rely on Salesforce or other major CRM solutions in one capacity or another. Do not answer 'yes' if your only experience is working at a company that used Salesforce. Interviewers who ask this question are specifically seeking candidates who have actively managed CRM implementations, administrated the tool, or worked in an active end-user role.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I have worked with two major CRM solutions. I was an analyst involved in several projects that integrated with Oracle's NetSuite CRM. Additionally, I was a project manager responsible for the accounting-related initiatives for a Salesforce implementation at my last company."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
29. What experience do you have with complex integration projects?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Delivery managers may be responsible for leading the implementation of integrated solutions that affect many user groups or business functions. This question is asked to evaluate a candidate's ability to coordinate programs of work on this scale.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid confusing experiences on application suite projects for complex integration initiatives. Complex integration solutions are expected to bridge together data sets, applications, and services that run on various platforms and require integration layers to be built to share data seamlessly.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"As a senior business analyst, I developed the integration requirements and helped to drive the design for a solution that integrated a series of human resources onboarding solutions I was responsible for. The integration data layer helped to manage functions such as applicant tracking, approvals, security badge requests, application access and security, and termination rules.
As a program manager, I led a team that developed a data warehouse solution that held data about the product we sold to external clients. I oversaw multiple projects to integrate external client systems with our data warehouse."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
30. Describe a method for performing an impact assessment.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Determining the impact of potential changes is a primary responsibility of delivery managers. Interviewers ask this question to gain insight into a candidate's process for analyzing this type of information.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid processes that rely heavily on intuition. The experience and feelings of a delivery manager can be an important factor in the process, but interviewers expect a candidate to be able to perform data-driven impact analysis.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"The first thing I would do is brainstorm a list of impact areas to be assessed. For example, I might consider financial impact, customer satisfaction, resource time, the frequency in which something occurs, the number of affected clients or users, etc. Next, I would assign a weight to each of these impact areas depending on the relative importance of the area to the client I am working with.
I would develop an easy-to-use scale to rate each assessment item in terms of impact. A typical scale would be a high-low scale in which I use the numbers 1-10. I would rate the items myself, or facilitate a stakeholder session to rate the items. Using a simple formula, I would then calculate the overall impact of each item based on the scale and weighted importance.
Finally, I would develop a recommendation with strategic and tactical guidance supported by the impact analysis. If appropriate, I would also include guidance based on my previous experience and intuition."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
31. What automated technology delivery tools or continuous deployment platforms do you have experience with?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Interviewers who ask this question seek delivery managers who have experience managing code deployments. Companies may require a candidate to have experience administrating deployments through an automation solution such as Octopus Deploy.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Do not mistake continuous delivery with continuous deployment. Continuous delivery focuses on the steps taken to deliver code to an environment and many of the steps involved are manual. Continuous deployment involves the automation of deployment tasks.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"The development teams I worked on as an engineer focused on continuous delivery standards. As a part of that process, we used a number of continuous deployment tools over the years. I have experience deploying code with GitLab. We were early adopters of that solution. I have also used Octopus Deploy. I was not directly responsible for deployments in my last role as a project manager, but the teams I worked with used AWS Code Deploy."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
32. Describe your experience with the delivery of SaaS solutions to clients.
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Software as a service is the dominant business model for many technology companies today. The sales, purchase, implementation, and maintenance activities differ from solutions that are hosted on-premises. Interviewers ask this question to determine if a delivery manager candidate has experience driving this style of technology implementation.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Avoid mistaking centrally hosted internal IT solutions for software as a service. The architecture of solutions that are built and hosted in-house may be similar to SasS, but the business models are different. An interviewer may interpret your answer as a general lack of understanding of SasS solutions if this style is included in your response.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"My current company specializes in SaaS solutions. My role involves working with clients during the discovery and sales process to assess their needs and define a mix of solutions that will work for them. After those initial consultations, I work with our implementation teams to oversee the development of any integration solutions and data loads. I also help to facilitate training.
I coordinate all of the onboarding activities including working with the in-house technology teams of our client. Sometimes I go on-site with a client to ensure a successful launch, and I serve as a point of contact for initial questions and support needs. Afterward, I oversee the transition of my client to our support team."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Technical
33. What experience do you have developing technology roadmaps?
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
Delivery managers may be tasked with the development and maintenance of project or program roadmaps. Interviewers who ask this question are interested to know about a candidate's approach to developing roadmaps and their level of experience with the type of planning knowledge required to develop this strategic deliverable.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
What to Avoid
Do not confuse an IT roadmap for a project plan. For example, interviewers would not expect to hear a candidate discuss their process for documenting individual tasks on a Gantt Chart.
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022
Answer Example
"I contributed to our team's roadmaps when I worked as an analyst. I helped define the scope and timing of the strategic and tactical initiatives we were working on and communicated how they aligned with various business groups. In my current position as an implementation manager, I work with my clients to help them define roadmaps for implementing our SaaS solutions. We typically use a phased approach, and the roadmaps communicate high-level initiatives, timelines, cost, and status."
Written by Karrie Day on April 6th, 2022