Illumina Qa Engineer Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 23 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Illumina.
Illumina
Quality Engineer
Mid Average Positive experience Accept offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite Recruiter call Offer
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
It started with a quick recruiter call for 15-20 mins. Then, the recruiter emailed to schedule a panel interview with the Hiring Manager and the Team. The panel interview was long, 5 hours in total. I met with 4 or 5 team members for about 30 minutes each, back to back. The Hiring Manager was the last one I met with, and that lasted 45 minutes. After that, the recruiter emailed again to set up a short phone call. Finally, I got a recruiter phone call where they extended the offer, which took about 15-20 minutes.
Confirmed questions6 questions
- What makes you interested in Illumina?
- Tell me about your reasons for leaving your current or past job.
- What is your understanding of NCRs, CAPAs, and Audits?
Illumina
Quality Engineer
Senior Easy Neutral experience Decline offer 4 rounds
Interview process
Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The interview process was lengthy, spanning four hours. It involved being in a conference room with one interviewer joining via phone, which I wasn't informed about beforehand. Each interviewer had a 30-minute slot. There wasn't enough time to talk to the direct hiring manager, and I ended up speaking with too many other managers and directors I don't interact with daily.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Why would you choose Illuminia?
Illumina
Quality Engineer
Entry Easy Positive experience No offer 3 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I submitted my application online via their careers page on October 6, 2010. About two weeks later, I got a call from the recruiter who was based at the company site. They asked me about my background, my motivation for seeking a role at their company, and what I knew about them. They also asked why I was looking to move on from my current job. A week after that, someone from the HR department called to arrange a phone interview with the hiring manager. This interview was pretty similar to the recruiter call, but it felt more like a conversation, and I got to explain my experience and what I could offer in more detail. The following week, HR reached out again to schedule an interview for the week after that. This interview involved meeting with ten different people, with each meeting lasting for about thirty minutes. During these meetings, I had the chance to talk about my past experience and discuss the company's current standing and future direction. While there weren't any direct 'tell me about a time when...' questions, the conversations naturally led to discussions about my past experiences where I highlighted my problem-solving skills in tough situations and the positive results I achieved. Everyone I met was really friendly and approachable.
Confirmed questions1 question
- Can you describe the entire journey of a product from its initial concept through to its final production?
Illumina Qa Engineer Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Illumina interview reports.
“Could you describe the workings of Next-Generation Sequencing technology?”
Read reports →“What is the GMP process for quality?”
Read reports →“Could you define calibration and explain why it is important?”
Read reports →“Considering the IVDR implementation, what do you foresee as the primary hurdles for companies?”
Read reports →“What is your understanding of NCRs, CAPAs, and Audits?”
Read report →“Imagine a scenario where a manufacturing operator finds a foreign particle in a reagent bulk solution after dispensing it into its final container. There's no existing specification for foreign particle contamination in the reagent bulk. The Manufacturing Area Manager informs you that the reagent bulk solution is "Research Use Only" and that a shipment to the customer is scheduled within 24 hours. Would you release the material to the customer under these circumstances? Please explain your reasoning and outline the actions you would take to support your decision.”
Read report →“Consider a situation where your team is implementing a process change to switch a liquid product's container from translucent to opaque material. Is this considered a minor or major change? What are the essential deliverables and the order of execution required to implement this change effectively?”
Read report →“What knowledge do you have regarding ISO13485?”
Read report →“Did they perform an overall knowledge check?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 23 Illumina interview reports.