Austen McDonald is a seasoned and empathetic technology leader and former Senior Software Engineering Manager at Facebook/Meta. During his over 9 years there, he served as Hiring Committee Chair for the iOS and Android recruiting pipelines, overseeing hiring decisions, defining leveling standards, and mentoring interviewers.

With firsthand experience conducting over 1,000 interviews for major tech companies, Austen has also coached more than 200 engineers to succeed in their big tech interview journeys. His career spans both individual contributor and leadership roles across big tech and startups, offering a unique perspective on hiring.

Austen earned a degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and a PhD from Stanford University, where his passion for teaching and mentorship took root. He draws inspiration from his wife, Kokeb, a best-selling author and occupational therapist, and finds joy in their life together with their two children in the Bay Area.