Bionano Genomics Interview Questions
& Process

I had a phone call with the Senior Manager, which was mostly just talking about my background and what I've done before. No technical questions were asked. It went well, so they invited me for an in-person interview. During the in-person, I found out the company had zero electrical engineering people – the one they had just left. They were looking for someone to lead their electronics design from a hands-on perspective, not a management role, and to help cut costs in their products. With my 30+ years in electronics, I told them I could definitely bring value. I met with four other engineers (mechanical, software, and two systems engineers). Since there were no other electrical engineers, nobody could ask me any technical questions. They did seem concerned about EMC issues with their products and asked if I had experience with that. I do, a lot, and I talked about techniques and projects. I also had a video chat with the recruiter who said he'd give me a yes/no answer in 3-4 days. I heard nothing for over two weeks. Finally, the contract recruiter who submitted my resume got some feedback: the Senior Manager thought I was technically sharp but worried about cultural fit and that I might be over-skilled. Basically, they thought I was too old and too expensive, wanting someone with 5-7 years of experience. This is for a role to take charge of all electronics, drive costs down, and improve capability and efficiency. Good luck with that search.

The interview process was pretty standard. It started with a 30-minute phone interview with the hiring manager. After that, I had an on-site interview that lasted about 3 hours and included lunch. It was with 8 people from the team and HR, individually and as a panel. They asked for my references and then rejected me the next day, which was a bit strange. It felt odd since I mentioned I had another offer. I doubt my references said anything bad, but maybe they found someone who was a better fit. It seemed like people leave and come back to this company often, not sure why, maybe downsizing. Anyway, the overall process was organized.

There was just one tech round with the Chairperson of Bionano. It was very easy and a free flowing conversation. I felt comfortable the whole time and we had a great back and forth problem solving session.

The interview process was quite straightforward and friendly, with a senior manager conducting a 30-minute session. It was a single interview round, but unfortunately, I didn't get the job. They didn't even follow up to inform me about the rejection. Otherwise, it was a pretty easy experience.