BNP Paribas Data Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

BNP Paribas is a leading global banking institution recognized for its extensive services in finance and banking. With a strong presence in 63 countries, BNP Paribas is committed to innovation and sustainable growth. The bank stands out for its dedication to creating a future-proof financial world

The Data Engineer position at BNP Paribas involves developing and automating data pipelines, deploying ETL processes, and supporting comprehensive data analysis. This role is crucial in transforming and automating data management processes, directly contributing to the company’s data-driven decision-making and innovation.

We’ll guide you through the interview process, outline the key responsibilities of the position, and BNP Paribas data engineer interview questions you might get asked. Let’s get started!

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

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

Sometimes, the hiring manager may be present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company itself. They may also engage in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call should take about 30 minutes. This step is crucial to understand your motivations and ensure your alignment with the company’s values and job requirements.

Technical Virtual Interview

Successfully navigating the recruiter round will invite you to the technical screening round. Technical screening for the BNP Paribas Data Engineer role is usually conducted through virtual means, including video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this one-hour interview stage may revolve around data systems, ETL pipelines, and SQL queries.

Take-home assignments involving data preparation, analytics, and scripting languages such as SQL and Python may be incorporated for data engineer roles. During this round, your proficiency in data modeling, debugging, and documentation of data pipelines and systems may also be assessed.

Depending on the seniority of the position, case studies and similar real-scenario problems may also be assigned to evaluate your practical approach toward data engineering challenges.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Following a successful technical interview, you’ll be invited to attend the onsite interview loop. Depending on the role, multiple interview rounds will be conducted during your day at the BNP Paribas office. Your technical prowess, including programming capabilities and data engineering skills, will be closely evaluated against other candidates throughout these interviews.

If you were assigned take-home exercises, a presentation round may also be part of the onsite interview for the Data Engineer role at BNP Paribas, where you’ll be expected to showcase your problem-solving skills and solutions.

Typically, interviews at BNP Paribas vary by role and team, but commonly data engineer interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

1. What is the relationship between PCA and K-means clustering?

Explain how Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-means clustering can be used together in data analysis. Describe the benefits and potential drawbacks of combining these techniques.

2. How would you build a strategy to find the best businesses to reach out to?

You are a credit card company looking to partner with more merchants. You have 100K small businesses to choose from but can only reach out to 1,000. How would you develop a strategy to identify the best businesses to contact?

3. How would you investigate a decrease in credit card payment amount per transaction?

You work for a financial company and notice a decrease in the credit card payment amount per transaction. How would you investigate the cause of this change?

4. Write a function to merge two sorted lists into one sorted list.

Given two sorted lists, write a function to merge them into one sorted list.

5. Write a function to find the maximum number in a list of integers.

Given a list of integers, write a function that returns the maximum number in the list. If the list is empty, return None.

6. Write a query to get the top 3 highest employee salaries by department.

Given the employees and departments table, write a query to get the top 3 highest employee salaries by department. The output should include the full name of the employee, the department name, and the salary, sorted by department name in ascending order and salary in descending order.

7. Write a function to merge multiple sorted integer lists into one sorted list.

Given a list of sorted integer lists, write a function sort_lists to create a combined list while maintaining sorted order without importing any libraries or using the 'sort' or 'sorted' functions in Python.

8. Write a function to swap nodes in a singly linked list.

Given the head of a singly linked list represented as a ListNode, and two zero-indexed positions x and y, write a function swap_node which swaps the positions of nodes x and y and returns the new head. You must swap these using pointer manipulation.

Here are three quick tips to help you ace your upcoming data engineer interview at BNP Paribas:

• Master Core Technical Skills: Ensure you are proficient in languages such as SQL and Python, as well as adept in using tools related to data warehousing and ETL pipelines.
• Understand the Business Context: BNP Paribas values candidates who can translate operational needs into technical reports. Familiarize yourself with the banking and insurance sectors to provide contextual insights during your interviews.
• Showcase Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Demonstrate your ability to work in multicultural teams and collaborate on cross-functional projects. Mention any relevant experience that highlights your adaptability and teamwork skills.

What is the average salary for a Data Engineer at Bnp Paribas?

What is the work environment like at BNP Paribas for a Data Engineer?

You’ll join a multicultural Data & Analytics team reporting directly to the CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif Germany. The team offers a perfect learning and development environment, engaging in industry-wide collaborations and using new programming languages and tools.

The office in Gerlingen operates a hybrid working model with two on-site days per week and flexible hours. The workplace is modern, has open-space offices, and is just 30 minutes away from Stuttgart city center via public transport.

Why should I consider joining BNP Paribas as a Data Engineer?

BNP Paribas offers a dynamic and evolving work environment where you can gain hands-on experience and deploy your code and projects. You’ll receive training on technical tools and soft skills, collaborate with cross-functional teams across EMEA, and join a global community of data and analytics experts. The company values responsible and ethical conduct and aims to shape the future of banking sustainably.

Joining BNP Paribas as a Data Engineer offers a unique opportunity to be part of a multinational team, contributing to innovative data-driven projects while working in a supportive and dynamic environment.

If you want more insights about the company, please check out our main BNP Paribas Interview Guide. This guide covers various interview questions that could be asked and the interview process for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst.

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Good luck with your interview!