Atlassian Frontend Engineer Interview

The coding round is structured into two interviews, each lasting 60 minutes. They are designed to test more than technical ability; they want to see how you think, how you debug, and how you handle uncertainty.

The two types of coding tasks you’ll encounter are Browser Coding and JavaScript Coding—and each comes with unique expectations:

Browser Coding Interview

This involves creating a simple, interactive UI in a browser environment. You’ll need to demonstrate your ability to translate requirements into a functional interface using the tools and frameworks you’re most comfortable with. Think of tasks like creating a live timer or a form that updates dynamically based on user input.

Our advice? Before the interview, set up your IDE and ensure it’s fully configured for your chosen framework. Have your IDE ready, fully configured for the framework you’re most confident with. A great litmus test: create a page that displays the current time when it loads. This will verify your setup and get you into the problem-solving mindset.

What they’re looking for here isn’t just your ability to write code, but how clean and reusable your implementation is. Avoid shortcuts. Use meaningful variable names, comment where necessary, and avoid hardcoding. Structure your components so they’re modular and easy to extend. Make sure to prepare Data Structures and Algorithms questions—spend sufficient time practicing Hackerrank and Leetcode standard problems.

JavaScript Coding Interview

This is all about logic and execution. You’ll write and run JavaScript in a setup where you can see real-time logs. Tasks often focus on solving practical problems—anything from manipulating data structures to implementing algorithms that support functionality for real-world applications.

Just like with the browser coding, set up your IDE to log the current time as a starting point. Then, as you code, use logs strategically to showcase your thought process and debug efficiently.

(Remember, the setup isn’t part of the evaluation; it's just to ensure you can focus on what matters: your performance. So, if you can’t set up your own IDE, don’t stress—Atlassian can provide a CodePair environment for the interview. Just let them know in advance.)

Here are three additional tips for this round: 

• Break the problem into smaller parts before diving into code. Narrate your approach—interviewers care as much about your thought process as your final solution. Practice explaining why you’re solving a problem a certain way and how you’d optimize it further.
• If you hit a blocker, don’t freeze. Say, “Here’s what I’m noticing, and this is what I’ll do next to isolate the issue.” Confidence in troubleshooting speaks volumes.
• Mock sessions are invaluable here. Work with someone who can provide constructive feedback, especially on your communication style. Prepfully has some excellent Altassian front-end developers who can help you out. Book a 1:1 session with them directly to get a sense-check of your preparation.

• Can you find if there any security issue in <THIS> javascript code? 
• Create a feature flag component in React that consumes a feature’s API and conditionally renders UI based on the value of the feature.
• What’s the most complex project you’ve worked on? 
• Tell me about a time you solved a conflict.
• What is the difference between script, script async and script defer?
• Design the UI/UX experience of a Jira board (personal and team).
• Build out a feature based on the brief/mock.
• Can you describe a situation where you had a difference of opinion with a colleague or team member? 
• Have you ever given constructive criticism to a colleague? 
• Can you tell me about a time when a change you made resulted in an issue for customers?

This 60-minute interview will center on designing a technical solution to a real-world problem. Atlassian uses this round to evaluate your technical depth, architectural thinking, and ability to handle real-world challenges. You’ll be presented with a broad problem statement—something like "Design a notification system for a SaaS product" or "Architect a collaborative document-editing application". 

The interviewer is not looking for a perfect design—they’re assessing:

• Your thought process: How do you approach the problem?
• Decision-making: Why did you choose a particular architecture or technology?
• Operational considerations: How do you ensure scalability, reliability, and maintainability?

Here are our top tips for this round:

• Tip #1: If something isn’t clear, don’t guess—ask. What are the must-have features? What kind of scale are we designing for? Are there specific constraints or assumptions? This will not just help you avoid assumptions but also shows that you’re thinking from the user and business perspective.
• Tip #2: Break the system into logical components (e.g., frontend, backend, database, caching, APIs). Draw a high-level architecture on a virtual whiteboard or paper (depending on the format). Label the key components and data flow. For instance, in a notification system, you might outline: Notification service (backend), Message queues for async processing, and Push notification gateways. Then, pick one or two critical components to discuss in detail. For example: The database: Should we use SQL or NoSQL? How do we handle high write loads? And so on.
• Tip #3: Every decision has trade-offs—acknowledge them. And be vocal about it. Fir instance, “I’m choosing a NoSQL database here because it handles unstructured data better and scales horizontally.”Discuss how you’d monitor system health (e.g., logging, metrics, alerts).
• Tip #4: Once you’ve laid out the design, ask, “How can we improve this?” Optimize for cost, performance, simplicity, etc based on feedback

The Management Interview is a decisive round that tests your leadership style, collaboration skills, and decision-making approach. This 60-minute session is scenario-based, so expect questions that require you to pull from real-world experiences. It's typically conducted by and Engineering Manager or the Vice President.

In a nutshell, they want to know:

• Can you navigate team dynamics and resolve conflicts?
• How do you balance the expectations of stakeholders while keeping your team aligned and motivated?
• Do you take ownership of outcomes, even in challenging situations?

Expert Tip: The key here is to connect your past successes (and challenges) to the principles of effective teamwork and leadership. Share examples where you’ve worked with designers, engineers, or stakeholders to align on priorities or overcome challenges. And be honest about it: don't shy away from tough scenarios. If you’ve made a decision that didn’t pan out, explain what you learned and how you adjusted your approach in future projects. We'd recommended using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework to structure your responses.

Atlassian takes its company values seriously, and this interview is designed to see how well you align with them. You can expect prompts like:

• Tell me about a time you disagreed with a team member. How did you resolve it?
• Describe a moment when you identified an inefficiency and improved it.

Now, Atlassian has 5 Core Values:

• Open Company, No Bullsh!t
• Play, As a Team
• Be the Change You Seek
• Build with Heart and Balance
• Don’t #@!% the Customer

Analyse your past experiences and reflect on those where these values played a role. For instance, a time when you perhaps prioritized customer experience or drove change in a challenging environment.

Pro Tip: Atlassian wants to see authenticity. If you’re asked something like, “How do you deal with failure?” don’t just say, “I learn from it.” Share an honest story where you failed, owned up to it, and grew as a result. 

For instance: “I once underestimated the time needed for a project, and it impacted delivery. I immediately communicated the delay, took responsibility, and reorganized the team’s efforts to minimize impact. It taught me the importance of better scoping and setting realistic expectations upfront.”