Amgen is a pioneering biotechnology company dedicated to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses. With a mission to serve patients, Amgen has become one of the world's leading biotechnology companies, reaching over 10 million patients worldwide.

As a Senior Data Scientist at Amgen, you will play a crucial role in the forefront of digital transformation within the biopharmaceutical industry. The position involves driving the development and integration of cutting-edge digital tools, optimizing data analytics, and leading cross-functional teams. You'll be working on predictive modeling, statistical analysis, and machine learning to support various stages of drug development. This role demands strong technical skills in SQL, Python, and machine learning, along with excellent communication and leadership capabilities. If you're ready to innovate and make a significant impact in healthcare, this guide will help you navigate the interview process at Amgen.

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your technical skills and interest in joining Amgen as a data scientist. Whether you were contacted by an Amgen recruiter or have taken the initiative yourself, carefully review the job description and tailor your CV according to the prerequisites.

Tailoring your CV may include identifying specific keywords that the hiring manager might use to filter resumes and crafting a targeted cover letter. Furthermore, don’t forget to highlight relevant skills and mention your work experiences.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

If your CV happens to be among the shortlisted few, a recruiter from the Amgen Talent Acquisition Team will make contact and verify key details like your experiences and skill level. Behavioral questions may also be a part of the screening process.

In some cases, the hiring manager stays present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also indulge in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will present you with an invitation for the technical screening round. Technical screening for the data scientist role usually is conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour long interview stage may cover statistics, SQL, machine learning, and case studies related to predicting new drug prescriptions.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next stage, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Multiple interview rounds, varying with the role, will be conducted during your day at the Amgen office. Your technical prowess, including programming and machine learning modeling capabilities, will be evaluated against the finalized candidates throughout these interviews.

Quick Tips For Amgen Data Scientist Interviews

• Refresh Machine Learning Fundamentals: Amgen places a significant emphasis on machine learning background. Make sure you are comfortable with prediction models and can articulate your approach to machine learning problems.

• Understand Healthcare Data: Familiarize yourself with medical data, such as drug prescription data, as you may be asked questions related to healthcare analytics.

• Be Prepared for Behavioral Questions: Given that some candidates reported an extensive focus on behavioral questions, be ready to discuss past experiences, especially those involving hardships and how you overcame them.

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Write a function to get a sample from a standard normal distribution. Create a function to generate a sample from a standard normal distribution.

• Write a function nearest_entries to find the closest element to N and return k-next and k-previous 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.

• 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 someone without a technical background. Use analogies or everyday examples to make it understandable.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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, or models would you build to provide an overarching view of subscription performance?

• How would you build a model to predict which merchants DoorDash should acquire in 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?

• How would you value the benefit of keeping a hit TV show on Netflix? Netflix executives are considering renewing a deal with another TV network 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?

• How would you measure the success of LinkedIn’s newsfeed ranking algorithm? As a data scientist on the engagement team, how would you measure the success of LinkedIn’s newsfeed ranking algorithm? Additionally, if some success metrics are improving while others are declining, how would you approach this situation?

• How would you determine if the results of an AB test for a landing page redesign are statistically significant? To improve the click-through rate, a re-design of a landing page is being tested through an AB test. How would you infer if the results of the click-through rate were statistically significant or not?

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

• How would you assign point values to letters in Spanish Scrabble 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?

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

Q: What is the interview process like for a Data Scientist position at Amgen?

The interview process typically includes a phone interview with the hiring manager, followed by a virtual onsite with team members. Expect a mix of behavioral questions and technical questions covering statistics, SQL, machine learning, and project experience. Be prepared to discuss your past projects and how you handle challenges.

Q: What skills are necessary for the Data Scientist role at Amgen?

Candidates should have strong knowledge and hands-on experience in SQL, Python or R, and machine learning. Proficiency in data visualization tools like Tableau or Power BI is also desired. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to communicate technical information clearly, are crucial.

Q: What is the company culture like at Amgen?

Amgen is committed to innovation and collaboration, aiming to make a significant impact in the biopharmaceutical industry. The company fosters a supportive work environment that values continuous learning, mentoring, and professional growth. Employees work together to serve patients and achieve organizational goals.

Q: What can I expect in terms of professional growth and benefits at Amgen?

Amgen offers a comprehensive Total Rewards Plan, including health and welfare plans, retirement savings plans, and career development opportunities. Employees can also benefit from flexible work models, stock-based incentives, annual bonuses, and award-winning time-off plans.

Q: How can I prepare for an interview at Amgen for a Data Scientist position?

To prepare, it is recommended to research the company, review your technical skills in statistics, SQL, machine learning, and data visualization. Practice common interview questions and be ready to discuss your project experiences and problem-solving abilities. You can also use Interview Query to practice specific data science interview questions and scenarios.

Conclusion

Landing a position as a Data Scientist at Amgen is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation and digital transformation. The interviews for the role are challenging yet rewarding, encompassing a mix of technical questions on statistics, SQL, machine learning, and behavioral questions focusing on your project experiences and problem-solving capabilities. Amgen values a strong machine learning background and the ability to integrate digital tools across various enterprise systems to enhance data utilization and accuracy.

Moreover, the role involves leading cross-functional teams, engaging with internal and external stakeholders, and mentoring junior team members, making it a highly dynamic and impactful position. If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Amgen Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as Senior Data Scientist and Digital Product Manager, where you can learn more about Amgen’s interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every Amgen data scientist interview question and challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!