Virgin Orbit Interview Questions
& Process

So I had this initial HR phone call a few months after I applied for the job. It was pretty standard stuff, you know, basic HR questions. But then they told me they were 'slowing the hiring process' and that it might take a while to hear back. After that, I was told the role changed but I was still being considered, though I never actually got the job description. When it was time for the second interview, I got ghosted. I called the recruiter who set it up and was told it might be another '30+ days' before they could reschedule. A few hours after that, I got an email saying I'm not being considered anymore because of 'shifted priorities.'

Applied online, then a recruiter reached out about 1-2 weeks later for a 30-minute chat, which was scheduled pretty fast. They asked about my resume and why I was interested in Virgin Orbit. About 10 days after that, I got an email saying I was moving on. The next week, I had a 30-minute call with two engineers from the team. They went over my resume experience. A big question involved designing an orbital liquid rocket – I had to pick the engine, propellants, cycle, and stages, explaining my reasoning for each choice. Since the role focused on engine testing, they asked about my testing background, if I'd written procedures or conducted tests, and what I learned. They also asked how I'd test a gas generator failure. After this, I got an offer I needed to respond to quickly. I told the recruiter, and they worked with me to schedule the final panel interview fast. It was supposed to be two hours, back-to-back with two interviewers each hour, but they changed it to three people in one hour about an hour before. The final interview was the very next morning because they wanted to give me an offer. It was a virtual call where they asked about my design work on my resume and the considerations for designing a model rocket, plus some technical questions on P&ID diagrams. The recruiter was great, but getting that first 30-minute chat scheduled took a while, about 2 weeks.

The recruiter reached out to see if I was interested in the role. Since I was, he set up a phone interview. After that, my resume went to the Director of Finance for another phone interview, mostly to talk about my experience and what the job generally entails. Then, I went in person to meet with the Director and Manager of Finance and got a tour of the plant. Each in-person interview was 30 minutes, and the tour was also 30 minutes. Overall it was a great experience and I am looking forward to hearing back from them.

Applied online. HR contacted me the next day via email to set up a screening interview (said it was a lovely team). Within the same week, I spoke with HR over the phone about my credentials, the position, and the company. The following week, I had a phone interview with the FP&A manager. Then, I made it to the in-person round where I met with three different FP&A members. By the end of that week, I received quick notice that they had offered the position to someone else, but overall, I felt very positive and enlightened about the recruiting experience.