Behavioral & Leadership Interview — Senior Data Scientist (IC5)

Context

You are interviewing for a senior individual-contributor data science role. The focus is on growth mindset, comfort with ambiguity, cross-team collaboration, inclusion, and measurable impact. Use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) with metrics and lessons learned.

Instructions

• Prepare 10–12 reusable STAR stories tied to product/business impact, data rigor, and collaboration.
• Quantify outcomes (e.g., lift %, revenue impact, latency, experiment velocity).
• Show ownership, influence without authority, and ability to handle ambiguity.

Questions

1. Tell me about a time you failed on a project and how you grew from it.
2. Describe a mistake you made and the feedback you received.
3. Share a challenging project that stretched you technically.
4. Give an example of adapting quickly to fast, ambiguous change.
5. When did you have to learn a new skill in an unknown domain under tight time pressure?
6. Describe how you persuaded a stakeholder when a project was stuck.
7. How do you build trust and collaborate with engineering and other teams?
8. Talk about a conflict with another group and how you resolved it.
9. As a senior IC, explain a decision you influenced that affected another team.
10. How have you helped a newcomer feel included or disagreed constructively with your manager?

Hint

Have 10–12 STAR stories with clear situation, task, actions, impact, and supporting metrics.