Intellia Therapeutics Interview Questions
& Process

So I had this interview for a SW Regional Scientific Director role. During the process, I found out the hiring manager had already promised a candidate applying for the NW Regional Scientific Director position that she would give her all of California and Hawaii. This was a big surprise to me because my role originally included AZ, Utah, NV, SoCal, and Hawaii. The territory changes were made without me knowing; I only found out from a colleague who was interviewing for the NW role. Finding out about such a significant change from a peer, not the recruiter or hiring manager, really made me question the fairness and professionalism of the hiring process.

The team was super friendly and I had a great time interviewing. It was a comfortable and welcoming conversation. They asked interesting questions about my past work and background. The whole thing felt good and engaging.

I made it to the final round interview. It started with an HR screening, then a hiring manager interview, followed by a virtual interview with several team members. Just before my final interview with Intellia, I had already accepted another job and tried to cancel the final round. The HR person tried to convince me to stay, mentioning I was one of two final candidates and they could offer a better package. I had the interview, and the hiring manager said he'd get back to me by the end of the week. I didn't hear back, so I called to check in, but got no response. A week later, I emailed them. This is where we are now. I feel employers should update candidates promptly, especially after reaching the final round when they admit it's down to two people and promise an update by week's end. I'm not expecting a job offer, but I do expect basic courtesy. No other company has ghosted me so unprofessionally. It's ironic because the employees during the interview presented the company as very 'people-focused,' but their HR department's incompetence suggests otherwise.

I applied online and went through an HR phone screen and a hiring manager phone screen. The whole thing took about two weeks. I got an email asking me to come in for an on-site interview. Scheduling was easy. They told me I'd have a presentation first, then one-on-one chats with some scientists, the hiring manager, director, and research associates. On the interview day, I met the hiring manager and asked about setting up for my presentation. I was told the schedule had changed and they'd forgotten to mention it. I had the interview with the hiring manager. Then came the presentation, which about 20 people attended. After the presentation, I had one-on-one interviews with a scientist and a research associate. I was only halfway through when HR came in and said they were looking for a different profile and didn't want to waste my time. They then explained their benefits package and I left. It's understandable to get rejected if you're not a fit, but companies should know what they need and only invite suitable candidates. However, if they do bring someone in, they should at least be professional and not make excuses like 'not wanting to waste your time.' I found the whole experience very unprofessional.