Vamstar is a cutting-edge, data science-powered B2B healthcare marketplace that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to connect suppliers with the most relevant healthcare contracting leads. With real-time machine learning forecasts and extensive analytics, Vamstar stands at the forefront of innovation in the healthcare procurement industry, backed by VC funding and recognized through multiple UK Research Grants.

As a Senior Product Manager at Vamstar, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our product strategy and execution. This role requires expertise in building procurement or marketplace applications, along with strong skills in web user experience, Jira, scrum management, and collaboration with design and engineering teams. Key responsibilities include owning the product roadmap, conducting market research, and driving product adoption.

In this guide, Interview Query walks you through the Vamstar interview process, common questions, and helpful tips to help you prepare. If you're ready for an exciting challenge in a fast-paced environment, this guide is for you.

Submitting Your Application

The first step is to submit a compelling application that reflects your capabilities and passion for joining Vamstar as a Senior Product Manager. Whether you were contacted by a Vamstar recruiter or took 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, especially your experience in building procurement or marketplace applications, and mention your work accomplishments.

Recruiter/Hiring Manager Call Screening

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

In some cases, the Vamstar Senior Product Manager hiring manager may be present during the screening round to answer your queries about the role and the company. They may also engage in surface-level technical and behavioral discussions.

The whole recruiter call typically takes 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 Vamstar Senior Product Manager role usually occurs through virtual means, such as video conference and screen sharing. Questions in this 1-hour interview may revolve around Vamstar’s product management processes, Agile methodologies, and your ability to work with Jira, designers, and engineers.

Expect questions on your proficiency in data analysis, decision-making, and presentation of insights. There may be specific technical questions regarding TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and a personality test to gauge how you handle stress and what motivates you to work.

Onsite Interview Rounds

Followed by a second recruiter call outlining the next steps, you’ll be invited to attend onsite interview rounds. Multiple interview rounds, reflecting the role's complexity, will be conducted during your onsite visit. Your ability to define and own the product roadmap, perform market research, and drive product innovation will be evaluated against other finalists throughout these sessions.

The onsite interview may also include a presentation round, especially if you were assigned a take-home exercise.

Quick Tips For Vamstar Senior Product Manager Interviews

• Learn TypeScript: Ensure you're well-versed in TypeScript, as the position emphasizes this skill. Also, brush up on the basics of HTML and CSS.
• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Be ready to answer questions about managing stress, your motivation for work, and other personality traits. Reflect on your past experiences, as these will likely be explored.
• Hands-On Experience: Practice using Agile tools like Jira and understand Scrum management principles. Your ability to work closely with designers and engineers will be put to the test.

Typically, interviews at Vamstar vary by role and team, but commonly Product Manager interviews follow a fairly standardized process across these question topics.

• How would you interpret coefficients of logistic regression for categorical and boolean variables? Explain how to interpret the coefficients of logistic regression when dealing with categorical and boolean variables.

• How would you design a machine learning model to classify major health issues based on health features? You work as a machine learning engineer for a health insurance company. Design a model that classifies if an individual will undergo major health issues based on a set of health features.

• What metrics and statistical methods would you use to identify dishonest users in a sports app? You work for a company with a sports app that tracks running, jogging, and cycling data. Formulate a method to identify users who might be cheating, such as driving a car while claiming to be on a bike ride. Specify the metrics and statistical methods you would analyze.

• Develop a function str_map to determine if a one-to-one correspondence exists between characters of two strings at the same positions. Given two strings, string1, and string2, write a function str_map to determine if there exists a one-to-one correspondence (bijection) between the characters of string1 and string2.

• Build a logistic regression model from scratch using gradient descent and log-likelihood as the loss function. Create a logistic regression model from scratch without an intercept term. Use basic gradient descent (with Newton's method) for optimization and the log-likelihood as the loss function. Do not include a penalty term. You may use numpy and pandas but not scikit-learn. Return the parameters of the regression.

• Why has the number of job applicants decreased despite stable job postings? You are looking at job board metrics and notice that while the number of job postings per day has remained stable over the last few months, the number of applicants has steadily decreased. Why might this be happening?

• What would you do if friend requests on Facebook are down 10%? A product manager at Facebook informs you that friend requests have decreased by 10%. What steps would you take to address this issue?

• How would you assess the validity of a .04 p-value in an AB test? Your company is running a standard control and variant AB test on a feature to increase conversion rates on the landing page. The PM finds a p-value of .04. How would you evaluate the validity of this result?

• How would you analyze the performance of a new LinkedIn feature without an AB test? You are a data scientist at LinkedIn working on a product that allows candidates to message hiring managers directly during the interview process. Due to engineering constraints, the company can't AB test the feature before launching it. How would you analyze its performance?

• Would you recommend a customer success manager or a free trial for Square's new product? You are in charge of Square's small business division. The CEO wants to hire a customer success manager for a new software product, while another executive suggests instituting a free trial instead. What would be your recommendation?

• How would you build a fraud detection model using a dataset of 600,000 credit card transactions? Imagine you work at a major credit card company and are given a dataset of 600,000 credit card transactions. Describe your approach to building a fraud detection model.

• How would you interpret coefficients of logistic regression for categorical and boolean variables? Explain how to interpret the coefficients of logistic regression when dealing with categorical and boolean variables.

• How would you tackle multicollinearity in multiple linear regression? Describe the methods you would use to address multicollinearity in a multiple linear regression model.

• How would you design a facial recognition system for employee clock-in and secure access? You work as an ML engineer for a large company that wants to implement a facial recognition system for employee clock-in, clock-out, and access to secure systems, including temporary contract consultants. How would you design this system?

• How would you handle data preparation for building a machine learning model using imbalanced data? Explain the steps you would take to prepare data for building a machine learning model when dealing with imbalanced data.

What is the average salary for a Product Manager at Vamstar?

Q: What are the key responsibilities of a Senior Product Manager at Vamstar?
As a Senior Product Manager at Vamstar, you'll be responsible for defining and owning the product roadmap, conducting market research, and driving product innovation. You'll collaborate with design and engineering teams to create user stories, wireframes, and prototypes, prioritize product features, and work with development teams to ensure timely delivery. Additionally, you'll cultivate relationships with key stakeholders, monitor product metrics, drive product adoption, and mentor junior product managers.

Q: What skills are essential for the Product Manager position at Vamstar?
You should have a strong understanding of web user experience principles, proficiency in Jira, scrum management, and Agile methodologies. Experience in data analysis, decision-making, and presenting insights is crucial. Excellent communication and leadership skills, along with the ability to work independently and lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, startup environment, are essential.

Q: How does the interview process at Vamstar look like?
The interview process typically involves an initial HR screening followed by technical and behavioral interviews. Be prepared to discuss your background, past experiences, and answer questions like "how do you manage stress" or "what motivates you to work." Additionally, the process may include some technical questions related to TypeScript, HTML, and CSS.

Q: What can I expect from the workplace culture at Vamstar?
Vamstar offers a dynamic work environment with ample autonomy and ownership. You'll experience an exciting pace of work with a challenging roadmap to build on. The company is fully remote and offers international travel opportunities. Vamstar is dedicated to innovation, being a fast-growing, VC-backed startup with a strong focus on changing how healthcare is procured.

Q: What makes an applicant stand out for the Product Manager role at Vamstar?
Having experience in building marketplace or exchange products can significantly bolster your candidacy. Be sure to highlight this experience in detail during your interview to stand out from other applicants.

Excited about the opportunity at Vamstar? Dive deeper by exploring our detailed Vamstar Interview Guide, where we cover interview questions and insights for the Product Manager position. Additionally, we've crafted resources for other roles to ensure you’re fully prepared to ace any Vamstar interview challenge.

At Interview Query, our mission is to arm you with the essential tools, knowledge, and confidence to succeed. From mastering the intricacies of TypeScript to refining your behavioral answers, we've got you covered every step of the way. Don't miss out on our comprehensive company interview guides for better preparation. Good luck with your Vamstar interview!