Zymergen Research Associate Interview Questions
& Process
Real candidates share what happened, how many rounds they had,
and how the experience turned out.
Based on 27 interview experiences · FREE TO READ
Candidate interview experiences
First-hand accounts from people who interviewed at Zymergen.
Zymergen
Research Associate
Senior Average Positive experience No offer 6 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Technical screen Onsite Panel Presentation
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical Coding System Design Case Presentation Group Other
Zymergen recruiter/HR reached out thinking I'd be a good fit for the role based on my background. We kicked things off with a 20 min phone screen. Then, about a week later, I had a 45 min phone chat with the hiring manager. Soon after, I got good feedback and moved on to a zoom interview (due to covid) which involved four separate half-hour sessions. The first session was all about behavior, the second was more technical, the third was with the hiring manager again and got a bit more technical, and the fourth was with the director of the group.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager and how you handled it.
- What fermentation parameters would you consider adjusting during fermentation development?
Zymergen
Research Associate
Mid Difficult Neutral experience No offer 5 rounds
Interview process
Recruiter call Phone screen Recruiter call Technical screen Onsite
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
I was contacted by a Zymergen recruiter via email about an initial call with a scientist. That call was about 30 minutes and included behavioral and technical questions. Then, I had a call with another in-house recruiter to discuss general job aspects like salary expectations and the work environment, as I'm not local. Following that, I set up several video interviews with five Zymergen employees, including scientists and managers, each lasting about 30 minutes. Some interviews were primarily technical, while others were mainly behavioral. The total duration of these video calls was close to three hours. A few days later, a recruiter informed me that I wasn't being considered further due to my technical qualifications.
Confirmed questions4 questions
- If a PCR experiment fails, how would you troubleshoot it?
- Could you discuss the reasons for choosing one cloning method over another?
- Can you describe the Gibson Assembly process?
Zymergen
Research Associate
Entry Average Negative experience No offer 1 round
Interview process
Recruiter call Background check
Interview formats
Behavioral Technical
The interview was nice. The person was polite and asked me questions about my past experiences and some regular behavioral questions. Nothing unusual. But the follow up became an issue. I emailed giving them a gap of 2 weeks each, and still got no reply. When I left voicemails, they also never followed up. I would appreciate a simple no, as I am a fresh graduate student looking for jobs and it is tough out there. I did not like such unprofessional behavior from this team, and frankly it was a bit of a let down after I thought highly of their recruiting process.
Confirmed questions2 questions
- What is your understanding of Zymergen?
- Could you describe your research in detail?
Zymergen Research Associate Interview Questions
Quoted word for word from Zymergen interview reports.
“What is the volume of 1 mole of water?”
Read reports →“Can you explain the difference between gravimetric and volumetric sample preparation?”
Read reports →“What is your process for preparing a 1% NaCl solution?”
Read reports →“Can you describe the specific ODs for different organism/cell types?”
Read reports →“If a PCR experiment fails, how would you troubleshoot it?”
Read report →“Can you explain the difference between quantitative and qualitative data?”
Read report →“What fermentation parameters would you consider adjusting during fermentation development?”
Read report →“What steps would you take to troubleshoot a PCR that didn't work?”
Read report →“Could you discuss the reasons for choosing one cloning method over another?”
Read report →Formats, difficulty and experience
Across all 27 Zymergen interview reports.