Redwood Materials Mechanical Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

I had a chat with the recruiter first, then a chat with two team members who weren't the hiring manager, and finally a chat with an interview panel. The recruiter was nice and responsive, but the company seemed a bit disorganized because I was set to talk to the same people in both the second and third rounds. Some people on the panel were critical of my current company, which I found unprofessional. One interviewer was also blunt and a bit rude, which made me think the company culture might be toxic, allowing people to openly criticize designs. For example, in the 1:1 interview after my presentation, he didn't turn on his camera, asked me to keep my screen shared on the presentation without asking any questions about it, and didn't even introduce himself. He also asked about fluid dynamics even though I told him it wasn't my area of responsibility. His arrogance suggests that people like him can advance in the company, which says a lot about its culture.

I went through 3 rounds. First was a 45-minute phone screen with the hiring manager. Then, there was a 3-hour panel interview with 4 people, which also included a 45-minute presentation. Finally, I had two follow-up phone screens with a different team. I really enjoyed talking with everyone on the team and their work is super interesting. I had to turn down the offer because I wasn't keen on moving.

The first step was a screening call with HR, which was pretty standard. I appreciated the HR person's good communication and how they showed respect for the interviewer. After that, I had a technical interview with an engineer. It was a really bad experience. The engineer didn't seem to have read my resume properly, made incorrect assumptions about me, and generally lacked respect and good values. They cut the interview short, and I didn't even get to ask my questions. This whole experience left a negative impression of the company, despite their impactful work and mission. It feels like they're looking for experienced, highly specialized people for repetitive tasks but are only willing to pay entry-level wages. The company culture seems as bad and disrespectful as the other EV company it originated from.