Egencia, An Expedia Company Data Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Egencia, an Expedia Company, is a leading provider of business travel solutions, focused on delivering seamless travel experiences for its clients through innovative technology and data-driven insights.

As a Data Engineer at Egencia, you will play a pivotal role in designing, building, and maintaining robust data pipelines that enable the organization to harness its vast amounts of data effectively. Key responsibilities will include developing scalable data architectures, ensuring data quality, and implementing ETL processes to support various analytics and reporting initiatives. A strong proficiency in SQL and Python will be essential, along with a solid understanding of algorithms and data structures, as these skills will be critical in optimizing data retrieval and processing. The ideal candidate will exhibit analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and a collaborative spirit, embodying Egencia's commitment to innovation and excellence in technology.

This guide will help you prepare thoroughly for your job interview by providing insights into the skills and competencies that Egencia values in a Data Engineer, as well as strategies for effectively showcasing your qualifications.

The interview process for a Data Engineer at Egencia is structured to assess both technical skills and cultural fit within the team. It typically consists of several key stages:

1. Initial Screening

The process begins with an initial screening call, usually conducted by a recruiter. This call lasts about 30 minutes and focuses on your background, experiences, and motivations for applying to Egencia. The recruiter will also gauge your fit for the company culture and discuss the role's expectations.

2. Hiring Manager Interview

Following the initial screening, candidates typically have a one-hour interview with the hiring manager. This session is primarily behavioral, where you will be asked to discuss your past experiences, challenges you've faced, and how you approach problem-solving. Expect questions that assess your ability to structure action plans and provide solutions to technical issues.

3. Technical Interviews

The technical assessment phase usually consists of two rounds, each lasting about an hour. The first technical interview may involve coding challenges, where you will be asked to solve problems using languages and tools relevant to the role, such as SQL and Python. The second technical interview often focuses on debugging existing code and discussing your thought process in arriving at solutions. Be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of algorithms and data structures, as well as your ability to analyze and interpret data.

4. Final Interview

In some cases, there may be a final interview that includes a panel of team members. This round can cover both technical and behavioral aspects, allowing the team to assess how well you would fit within the group dynamics. Expect to discuss your previous projects and how you measure success in your work.

Throughout the process, communication may vary, and candidates have reported delays in feedback. It's advisable to follow up if you haven't heard back after your interviews.

As you prepare for your interviews, consider the types of questions that may arise in each of these stages.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Interview Structure

Familiarize yourself with the typical interview process at Egencia, which often includes multiple stages. Expect an initial HR screening followed by interviews with the hiring manager and technical team members. Each stage may focus on different aspects, such as behavioral questions in the first round and technical skills in subsequent rounds. Knowing this structure will help you prepare accordingly and manage your time effectively during the interview.

Prepare for Behavioral Questions

Behavioral questions are a significant part of the interview process. Be ready to discuss your past experiences, particularly how you’ve handled challenges and worked in teams. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses. Highlight your problem-solving skills and ability to collaborate, as these are crucial for a Data Engineer role at Egencia.

Showcase Your Technical Skills

Technical proficiency is key for a Data Engineer position. Brush up on your coding skills, particularly in languages and frameworks relevant to the role. Expect to encounter questions on algorithms, data structures, and possibly live coding challenges. Practice coding problems that involve dynamic programming, graph algorithms, and binary search, as these topics have been noted in previous interviews.

Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities

Interviewers will likely assess your ability to tackle technical issues. Be prepared to discuss a specific application or system you’ve worked on, identify a pain point, and outline a plan for addressing it. Explain how you would manage the implementation of a new feature and measure its success. This will demonstrate your analytical thinking and project management skills.

Communicate Clearly and Confidently

Effective communication is essential, especially when explaining complex technical concepts. Practice articulating your thought process during coding challenges and be open about your reasoning. If you encounter a problem you can’t solve immediately, don’t hesitate to discuss your approach and thought process with the interviewer. This shows your ability to think critically under pressure.

Be Ready for a Collaborative Environment

Egencia values teamwork and collaboration. Be prepared to discuss your experiences working in teams, how you handle conflicts, and your approach to receiving and giving feedback. Highlight instances where you contributed to a team’s success or learned from a challenging situation. This will align with the company culture and demonstrate your fit within the team.

Follow Up Professionally

After your interviews, send a thank-you email to express your appreciation for the opportunity. This not only shows professionalism but also reinforces your interest in the position. If you don’t hear back within the expected timeframe, consider sending a polite follow-up to inquire about your application status. This demonstrates your enthusiasm and proactive nature.

By following these tips, you’ll be well-prepared to navigate the interview process at Egencia and showcase your qualifications for the Data Engineer role. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Data Engineer interview at Egencia. The interview process will likely assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and behavioral competencies. Be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge of data engineering concepts, coding skills, and your approach to collaboration and project management.

Technical Skills

1. Can you explain the difference between a relational database and a NoSQL database?

Understanding the distinctions between these database types is crucial for a Data Engineer, as it impacts data storage and retrieval strategies.

How to Answer

Discuss the fundamental differences in structure, scalability, and use cases for each type of database. Highlight scenarios where one might be preferred over the other.

Example

“A relational database uses structured query language (SQL) and is ideal for complex queries and transactions, while a NoSQL database is more flexible with unstructured data and can scale horizontally. For instance, I would choose a relational database for a financial application requiring ACID compliance, whereas a NoSQL database would be suitable for a social media platform handling large volumes of diverse data.”

2. Describe a challenging data pipeline you built. What were the key components?

This question assesses your practical experience in building data pipelines, which is a core responsibility of a Data Engineer.

How to Answer

Outline the project, the technologies used, and the challenges faced. Emphasize your problem-solving skills and the impact of the pipeline on the organization.

Example

“I built a data pipeline for processing real-time user activity data using Apache Kafka and Spark. The challenge was ensuring data integrity while handling high throughput. I implemented a robust error-handling mechanism and optimized the data flow, which improved processing speed by 30% and provided timely insights for our marketing team.”

3. How do you ensure data quality in your projects?

Data quality is paramount in data engineering, and interviewers want to know your strategies for maintaining it.

How to Answer

Discuss the methods you use for data validation, cleaning, and monitoring. Mention any tools or frameworks you have experience with.

Example

“I implement data validation checks at various stages of the ETL process, using tools like Apache Airflow for orchestration. Additionally, I set up automated monitoring to track data anomalies and discrepancies, which allows for quick identification and resolution of quality issues.”

4. What is your experience with SQL? Can you write a query to find duplicate records?

SQL proficiency is essential for a Data Engineer, and this question tests your practical skills.

How to Answer

Demonstrate your SQL knowledge by explaining the query structure and logic. Be prepared to write a sample query.

Example

“I have extensive experience with SQL, including complex queries involving joins and subqueries. To find duplicate records, I would use a query like: SELECT column_name, COUNT(*) FROM table_name GROUP BY column_name HAVING COUNT(*) > 1; This identifies any records that appear more than once based on the specified column.”

Behavioral Questions

5. Describe a situation where you had to have a difficult conversation with a colleague.

This question evaluates your interpersonal skills and ability to handle conflict.

How to Answer

Share a specific example, focusing on the context, your approach, and the outcome. Highlight your communication and problem-solving skills.

Example

“I once had to address a situation where a colleague consistently missed deadlines, impacting our project timeline. I scheduled a one-on-one meeting to discuss my concerns and understand their challenges. By fostering an open dialogue, we identified workload issues and agreed on a more manageable timeline, which improved our collaboration and project delivery.”

6. Tell me about a time you structured an action plan to solve a technical issue.

This question assesses your problem-solving and project management skills.

How to Answer

Outline the problem, your action plan, and the results. Emphasize your analytical thinking and ability to execute a solution.

Example

“When faced with a data processing bottleneck, I analyzed the workflow and identified that the data transformation step was inefficient. I structured an action plan that included optimizing the code and implementing parallel processing. As a result, we reduced processing time by 50%, allowing for faster data availability for stakeholders.”

7. How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects?

This question gauges your time management and prioritization skills.

How to Answer

Discuss your approach to prioritization, including any frameworks or tools you use to manage your workload effectively.

Example

“I prioritize tasks based on urgency and impact, often using the Eisenhower Matrix to categorize them. I also communicate regularly with stakeholders to align on priorities and adjust as needed. This approach has helped me manage multiple projects efficiently while meeting deadlines.”

8. Can you give an example of how you have contributed to a team project?

This question looks for evidence of teamwork and collaboration.

How to Answer

Share a specific example that highlights your role, contributions, and the overall success of the project.

Example

“In a recent project to migrate our data warehouse, I collaborated with cross-functional teams to gather requirements and design the new architecture. I took the lead on implementing the ETL processes and ensured thorough documentation. Our successful migration improved data accessibility and reporting capabilities for the entire organization.”