In your interviews for the Agentic AI Engineer position, you can expect a variety of questions designed to assess your technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and alignment with Asana's values. The questions listed below are representative of those sourced from 1point3acres.com and may vary by team. Focus on understanding the patterns behind these questions rather than memorizing answers.

Technical / Domain Questions

These questions will assess your foundational knowledge and experience with AI technologies and software engineering principles.

• How do you approach designing distributed systems for AI applications?
• Describe a project where you implemented an AI system. What challenges did you face?
• What are the key considerations for building reliable production systems?
• Discuss your experience with large language models and their applications in real-world scenarios.
• How would you evaluate the performance of an AI agent in a collaborative environment?

System Design / Architecture

Expect to discuss your ability to design scalable systems that meet user needs and business requirements.

• Design a system that enables AI agents to collaborate with users in real-time. What components would you include?
• How would you handle state persistence in multi-turn interactions with AI agents?
• Explain your process for integrating various data sources into an AI-driven application.
• What strategies would you implement to ensure the reliability and observability of AI systems?
• Provide an example of how you would structure an A/B test for an AI feature.

Behavioral / Leadership

These questions will explore your ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively within teams.

• Describe a time when you had to influence a team decision. What was your approach?
• How do you handle ambiguity in projects? Can you provide an example?
• What strategies do you use to build consensus among cross-functional teams?
• Discuss a situation where you had to mentor a colleague. What was your approach?
• How do you ensure your work aligns with customer needs?

Problem-solving / Case Studies

You may be presented with hypothetical scenarios to assess your analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Imagine an AI agent is not performing as expected. How would you diagnose and resolve the issue?
• Provide a solution for an AI agent that needs to prioritize tasks based on user preferences and deadlines.
• How would you approach designing an evaluation framework for measuring user satisfaction with AI features?
• Discuss how you would integrate user feedback into the development of AI agents.
• Present a case where an AI agent failed to meet user expectations. What steps would you take to address this?

The visual timeline above outlines the steps you can expect throughout the interview process. Use this to plan your preparation and manage your energy effectively. Keep in mind that the specific steps may vary slightly depending on the team and role level.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Technical Proficiency

Technical proficiency is crucial for the Agentic AI Engineer position. Interviewers will evaluate your understanding of AI systems, software engineering principles, and your ability to implement reliable production systems. Strong candidates will demonstrate a clear grasp of AI technologies, including large language models and their practical applications.

• AI Technologies – Understanding the latest AI advancements and their implications for product development.
• Production Systems – Experience in building and maintaining scalable systems that operate reliably under various conditions.
• Software Development Lifecycle – Familiarity with agile methodologies, version control, and deployment strategies.

Example questions:

• How do you ensure the reliability of an AI system in production?
• Describe the software development lifecycle you typically follow when building AI features.

Problem-solving and Analytical Thinking

Your ability to approach complex problems with a structured methodology will be assessed. Interviewers look for your analytical skills and how you navigate ambiguity to find effective solutions.

• Critical Thinking – Ability to break down problems and devise actionable solutions.
• Scenario Analysis – Skill in evaluating potential outcomes and trade-offs in decision-making.
• Iterative Development – Experience in refining solutions through testing and feedback.

Example questions:

• Provide an example of a complex problem you solved in a previous project. What was your approach?
• How do you handle feedback from users during the development process?

Collaboration and Communication

As an Agentic AI Engineer, your role will require effective collaboration across teams. Interviewers will assess your communication skills and your ability to work within cross-functional teams.

• Team Collaboration – Experience working with diverse teams and facilitating productive discussions.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Mentorship – Willingness and ability to guide junior team members through projects.

Example questions:

• Describe a time when you had to communicate a technical concept to a non-technical audience. How did you approach it?
• How do you build consensus among team members with differing opinions?

Key Responsibilities

In the Agentic AI Engineer position, your day-to-day responsibilities will encompass a range of tasks that contribute to the development and enhancement of AI Teammates at Asana. You will work on building the Teammates platform, focusing on creating agents that effectively collaborate with users and each other across various applications.

Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Developing agentic workflows, evaluation systems, and product features using Asana's custom TypeScript framework.
• Collaborating with Product Management, Design, and Research teams to deliver impactful features that address user needs.
• Implementing integrations with various data sources and building systems for state persistence and memory.
• Conducting A/B tests and experiments to measure user impact and improve the performance of AI agents.
• Contributing to engineering excellence through code reviews, mentorship, and technical design discussions.

You will engage with cross-functional teams to drive projects that push the boundaries of AI technology, ensuring that the solutions you develop are both innovative and practical.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be considered for the Agentic AI Engineer role, candidates should possess a blend of technical skills, experience, and soft skills:

Must-have skills:

• Strong software engineering fundamentals with 4+ years of hands-on engineering experience.
• Proficiency in AI technologies, particularly around agentic systems and large language models.
• Experience in building reliable production systems and a solid understanding of software development processes.

Nice-to-have skills:

• Previous applied AI experience, such as RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) or evaluation frameworks.
• Familiarity with agent/tool orchestration, evaluation frameworks, and production observability.
• Demonstrated curiosity about emerging AI tools and technologies.

Candidates should also exhibit strong communication skills, a customer-oriented mindset, and the ability to thrive in an ambiguous, fast-paced environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the interviews for this role? The interviews for the Agentic AI Engineer position are rigorous and designed to assess a range of skills, including technical proficiency and problem-solving abilities. Candidates should expect a challenging experience that requires thorough preparation.

Q: What differentiates successful candidates? Successful candidates demonstrate a strong technical background, excellent collaboration skills, and a deep understanding of AI technologies. They also show a willingness to learn and adapt in a rapidly changing field.

Q: What is the culture like at Asana? Asana fosters a collaborative and innovative culture, where teamwork and user-centric design are highly valued. Employees are encouraged to contribute ideas and work together to solve complex problems.

Q: What is the typical timeline from interview to offer? The timeline can vary, but candidates can generally expect the process to take a few weeks, including initial screenings and technical assessments.

Q: Are there remote work options for this role? This position is based in San Francisco with a hybrid work schedule. Most employees have the option to work from home on Wednesdays, and remote work on Fridays may depend on team dynamics.

Other General Tips

• Be Authentic: Show your genuine passion for AI and collaboration. Your enthusiasm for the role and its challenges can significantly impact your interview.
• Practice Problem-Solving: Engage in mock interviews or practice coding challenges to sharpen your analytical thinking and technical skills.
• Prepare for Behavioral Questions: Reflect on past experiences where you demonstrated leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.
• Stay Updated on AI Trends: Familiarize yourself with current advancements in AI and how they relate to collaborative systems. This knowledge will help you discuss relevant topics during the interview.

Summary & Next Steps

The Agentic AI Engineer role at Asana represents an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of AI development, driving innovation and collaboration. As you prepare for your interviews, focus on the key evaluation areas, including technical proficiency, problem-solving ability, and collaboration skills.

By understanding the interview process and familiarizing yourself with the types of questions you may encounter, you can approach your interviews with confidence. Remember, focused preparation can significantly enhance your performance. Explore additional interview insights and resources on Dataford to further equip yourself.

Embrace the challenge, and know that your potential to succeed in this role is within reach. Good luck!