To succeed in your interviews, you must demonstrate proficiency across several key technical and behavioral domains. Our engineers operate across the full stack and are expected to understand the broader impact of their architectural decisions.
Cloud Computing & Platform Engineering
This area tests your ability to build, deploy, and manage applications in the cloud. At Amgen, we rely heavily on cloud-native architectures to ensure our platforms are scalable, secure, and globally accessible. Strong performance means moving beyond basic deployments to discussing infrastructure as code, containerization, and automated pipelines.
Be ready to go over:
- AWS Ecosystem – Deep understanding of services like AWS Lambda, API Gateway, and managed databases.
- Containerization & Orchestration – Experience with Docker and container orchestration systems.
- CI/CD & DevOps – Designing and maintaining automated testing and deployment pipelines.
- Database Architecture – Trade-offs between SQL and NoSQL databases for specific enterprise use cases.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "Walk me through how you would design a scalable, serverless architecture using AWS Lambda and API Gateway."
- "Describe a time you optimized a CI/CD pipeline to reduce deployment times across a global engineering team."
- "How do you ensure data security and compliance when integrating a new NoSQL database into an existing enterprise platform?"
AI, Machine Learning & Advanced Frameworks
As Amgen continues to innovate, integrating AI and machine learning into our software platforms is becoming increasingly critical. You will be evaluated on your practical experience with modern AI tools and how you operationalize them within a production environment.
Be ready to go over:
- LLM Integration – Utilizing frameworks like LangChain, LlamaIndex, and agentic frameworks.
- Vector Databases – Managing and querying VectorDBs for advanced search and contextual data retrieval.
- MLOps – Deploying and monitoring machine learning models using tools like Amazon SageMaker and Amazon Bedrock.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "Explain how you would build a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipeline using LangChain and a vector database."
- "What are the key challenges in transitioning a machine learning model from a local environment to production using MLOps best practices?"
System Design & Reusable Architecture
We need engineers who can think at an enterprise scale. This evaluation area focuses on your ability to design systems that are not only effective for a single use case but can be leveraged as reusable accelerators across multiple product teams.
Be ready to go over:
- Microservices Architecture – Decoupling complex monolithic applications into resilient services.
- Governance & Reliability – Developing frameworks to manage platform usage, ensure uptime, and monitor system health.
- Integration – Seamlessly connecting new software platforms with legacy enterprise systems.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "Design a global platform service that multiple internal business units can use to access standardized patient data models."
- "How do you balance the need for rapid feature delivery with the necessity of maintaining strict security and governance frameworks?"
Cross-Functional Leadership & Behavioral Fit
Engineering at Amgen is a team effort. You will be assessed on your ability to navigate a matrixed environment, communicate with non-technical stakeholders, and mentor junior engineers. Strong candidates exhibit a collaborative mindset and a clear connection to our patient-first mission.
Be ready to go over:
- Stakeholder Management – Translating business demands from commercial or sustainability teams into technical requirements.
- Mentorship – Fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within your team.
- Navigating Ambiguity – Delivering results when project parameters are shifting or complex.
Example questions or scenarios:
- "Tell me about a time you had to explain a complex technical trade-off to a non-technical business leader."
- "Describe a situation where you identified a process improvement in the development lifecycle and successfully drove its adoption."
