Amgen Data Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

Amgen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, known for its mission to serve patients. It has achieved global recognition for its innovative approach to researching, manufacturing, and delivering biopharmaceuticals that address serious illnesses. With a commitment to unlocking the potential of biology, Amgen has reached over 10 million patients worldwide.

This guide will walk you through the interview process, sample Amgen data engineer interview questions and provide valuable insights and tips to help you prepare.

The interview process usually depends on the role and seniority, however, you can expect the following on a Amgen data engineer interview:

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV is selected, a recruiter from Amgen’s Talent Acquisition Team will contact you to verify key details about your experiences and skill levels. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

It is not uncommon for a Data Engineer hiring manager at Amgen to participate in the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also engage in initial technical and behavioral discussions.

The recruiter call typically lasts about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will lead to an invitation for the technical screening. This technical screening is typically conducted through virtual means, including video conferencing and screen sharing. The 1-hour long interview may cover Amgen’s data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

Candidates may also be given take-home assignments involving data engineering tasks, such as creating ETL processes or solving leetcode problems. Your proficiency in SQL, Python, and cloud platforms like AWS can be assessed as well.

Depending on the level of the position, additional case studies and real-world scenario problems may be assigned.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Upon clearing the technical virtual interview, candidates will be invited to the onsite interview rounds. Multiple rounds with different focus areas will be conducted during your day at Amgen’s office or virtually these days. The interview will assess your technical abilities, including programming, system design, and database management skills.

The interview process may include:

1. Panel interview with engineers.
2. A series of panel interviews with managers focusing on both technical and behavioral questions.
3. Coding and problem-solving exercises.
4. System design discussions and case studies.

If you had been assigned take-home exercises, you might need to present your solution or discuss your approach during these onsite interviews.

Typically, interviews at Amgen vary by role and team, but commonly Data Engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. Write a function calculate_rmse to calculate the root mean squared error of a regression model.

The function should take in two lists, one that represents the predictions y_pred and another with the target values y_true.

2. Write a query to get the last transaction for each day from a table of bank transactions.

Given a table of bank transactions with columns id, transaction_value, and created_at, write a query to get the last transaction for each day. The output should include the id of the transaction, datetime of the transaction, and the transaction amount. Order the transactions by datetime.

3. Write a function random_key that returns a key at random with a probability proportional to the weights.

Given a dictionary with weights, write a function random_key that returns a key at random with a probability proportional to the weights.

4. Write a function to get a sample from a standard normal distribution.

Create a function to generate a sample from a standard normal distribution.

5. Write an efficient function nearest_entries to find the closest element to N in a sorted list and return surrounding elements.

Given a sorted list of integers ints with no duplicates, write an efficient function nearest_entries that takes in integers N and k and returns the element closest to N along with the k-next and k-previous elements of the list.

6. How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical?

Explain the concept of a p-value in simple terms to a non-technical person. Use analogies or everyday examples to make the explanation clear and relatable.

7. How many more samples would we need to decrease the margin of error from 3 to 0.3?

Given a sample size (n) with a margin of error of 3, calculate the additional number of samples required to reduce the margin of error to 0.3.

8. How would you determine if the results of an AB test on a landing page redesign are statistically significant?

Describe the process of analyzing AB test results to determine if the observed differences in click-through rates are statistically significant. Include steps such as hypothesis testing and p-value calculation.

9. What metrics/graphs/models would you use to analyze churn behavior for Netflix’s pricing plans?

Netflix has two pricing plans: $15/month or $100/year. An executive wants to analyze the churn behavior of users subscribing to either plan. What kinds of metrics, graphs, and models would you build to provide an overarching view of subscription performance?

10. How would you predict which merchants DoorDash should acquire when entering a new market?

As a data scientist at DoorDash, how would you build a model to predict which merchants the company should target for acquisition when entering a new market?

11. How would you value the benefit of keeping a hit TV series on Netflix?

Netflix executives are renewing a deal for exclusive streaming rights to a hit TV series. The show has been on Netflix for a year. How would you approach valuing the benefit of keeping this show on Netflix?

12. How would you measure and address the success of LinkedIn’s newsfeed ranking algorithm?

1. How would you measure the success of LinkedIn’s newsfeed ranking algorithm?
2. If some success metrics for the newsfeed algorithm are improving while others are declining, how would you approach this?

13. How would you determine if the results of an AB test for a landing page redesign are statistically significant?

We want to launch a redesign of a landing page to improve the click-through rate using an AB test. How would you infer if the results of the click-through rate were statistically significant or not?

14. How would you assign point values to letters in a Spanish Scrabble game without knowing Spanish?

If you need to build Scrabble for Spanish users and don’t know Spanish, how would you determine the point values for each letter?

You should plan to brush up on any technical skills and try as many practice interview questions and mock interviews as possible. A few tips for acing your Amgen data engineer interview include:

• Brush Up on Technical Skills: Ensure you are well-versed in SQL, Python, and AWS as they form the core of data engineering tasks at Amgen.
• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Be ready to articulate your teamwork experience, project involvement, and problem-solving approaches. Reflect on times you’ve earned someone’s trust or handled a challenging project.
• Practice Coding Problems: Regularly practice interview questions and mock interviews on platforms like Interview Query to stay sharp.

What is the average salary for a Data Engineer at Amgen?

What does Amgen look for in a Data Engineer candidate?

Amgen looks for candidates with strong technical skills, including experience with SQL, Python, AWS, data warehousing, and ETL processes. Knowledge of big data technologies such as Hadoop, Spark, and Kafka is also highly valued. Additionally, they seek candidates who can work effectively in a fast-paced, Agile environment and who possess strong problem-solving and communication skills.

How long does Amgen’s interview process for Data Engineers typically take?

The interview process at Amgen can be lengthy, often spanning several months from initial application to offer. Candidates have reported multiple rounds of interviews spread out over a few months, with occasional delays in feedback between stages.

What is Amgen’s company culture like?

Amgen fosters a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive culture focused on serving patients. Employees are encouraged to work together to research, manufacture, and deliver better products. The company values creativity, accountability, and continuous improvement, and provides various benefits and opportunities for career development.

Given the meticulous recruiting process, it’s clear that Amgen seeks individuals who are not only technically proficient but also dedicated and resilient. The path could involve several technical interviews focusing on Python, SQL, AWS, and system design, followed by extensive panel discussions. For many, this journey can be lengthy, but the experience gained and the impact you can have on a global scale make it worthwhile.

If you’re interviewing for a Data Engineer position at Amgen, preparation is key. Be ready to showcase your technical abilities, problem-solving skills, and experience with large-scale data systems. At Interview Query, we have assembled comprehensive guides for Amgen interview processes. To gain invaluable insights, check out our detailed Amgen Interview Guide, which covers a variety of interview questions and best practices tailored specifically for roles at Amgen.

Good luck with your interview!