ING DevOps Engineer interview questions & guide 2026

Success at ING requires more than just technical proficiency; it requires a systematic approach to problem-solving and clear communication. Prepare to articulate not just how you solved a problem, but why you chose your specific technical path.

Role-related knowledge – You must demonstrate deep expertise in your stack, specifically cloud-native tools and automation frameworks. Interviewers want to see that you understand the underlying mechanics of your tools, not just how to run them.

Problem-solving ability – You will be presented with scenario-based questions. Structure your answers by defining the challenge, identifying constraints, proposing a solution, and explaining the trade-offs you considered.

Leadership & Communication – Even in a technical role, you must be able to explain complex systems to cross-functional stakeholders. Demonstrate how you have influenced team standards or mentored others to adopt better DevOps practices.

The interview process at ING is comprehensive and structured, designed to assess both your technical depth and your alignment with the bank’s engineering culture. You should expect a rigorous pace, often involving multiple stages that move from initial screening to deep-dive technical panels and final leadership discussions.

Because ING is a large, global organization, the process can vary slightly by location and team, but it consistently emphasizes technical competence and the ability to work within established standards. Be prepared for a sustained process that may require patience; feedback loops can sometimes be longer than in smaller, agile-focused firms.

This timeline illustrates the progression from initial HR screening to technical evaluation and final leadership interviews. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you have enough time to brush up on both theoretical concepts and your own project history before the technical panel rounds.

Cloud & Infrastructure Automation

You will be evaluated on your ability to treat infrastructure as code. Strong candidates demonstrate a mastery of provisioning tools and cloud-native services.

Be ready to go over:

• Terraform state management and module design.
• Networking fundamentals in cloud environments (VPC, subnets, routing).
• Security best practices (IAM, encryption, network policies).

Example scenarios:

• "Design an automated, secure infrastructure for a new microservice in GCP."
• "How do you manage infrastructure drift across multiple environments?"

CI/CD & Pipeline Design

This area measures your ability to optimize the software delivery lifecycle. Focus on efficiency, testing integration, and deployment strategies.

Be ready to go over:

• Strategies for zero-downtime deployments (Blue-Green, Canary).
• Integrating automated security testing (SAST/DAST) into the pipeline.
• Handling pipeline failures and rollbacks in a production environment.

Example scenarios:

• "A deployment failed in production; walk me through your incident response process."
• "How do you optimize pipeline performance for a team of 50 developers?"

As a DevOps Engineer at ING, your primary responsibility is to remove friction from the development process. You will maintain and improve the CI/CD pipelines that power the bank’s applications, ensuring that they are fast, reliable, and compliant with banking regulations. You will spend significant time collaborating with software engineers to define infrastructure requirements and with security teams to ensure those requirements meet strict internal standards.

Expect to work on initiatives that involve migrating legacy systems to the cloud, implementing advanced monitoring and alerting solutions, and potentially integrating innovative technologies like AI-based agents to automate routine operational tasks. You are an enabler; your success is measured by the stability of the production environment and the velocity of the development teams you support.

A competitive candidate for this position should possess a strong foundation in cloud engineering and a clear understanding of modern software delivery practices.

• Must-have skills:

• Proficiency in at least one major cloud provider (GCP is frequently mentioned in ING contexts).

• Advanced knowledge of Terraform or Ansible.

• Deep understanding of CI/CD concepts and tooling.

• Strong scripting skills (Python, Bash, or Go).

• Experience with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).

• Nice-to-have skills:

• Experience with AI-driven operations or observability tools.

• Familiarity with financial industry compliance and security standards.

• Background in software development, providing a "developer-first" perspective on operations.

Q: How difficult are the technical interviews? A: The difficulty is generally considered average to challenging. Expect "quiz-style" technical questions followed by in-depth discussions about your past projects and how you handled specific architectural hurdles.

Q: What is the best way to prepare for the technical panel? A: Review your past projects in detail. Be ready to explain the "why" behind every tool and architectural decision you made, especially regarding security and scalability.

Q: Is there a coding component? A: While not always a traditional algorithm-heavy whiteboard test, you will likely be asked to explain scripts or provide code snippets related to automation and pipeline management.

Q: What is the typical timeline for the interview process? A: Processes can be lengthy, often spanning several weeks. The gap between interviews can be significant, so keep your momentum and stay engaged throughout.

• Understand the "Why": Don't just list technologies you've used. Explain how they solved a specific business problem or improved team efficiency.
• Master your Project History: You will be asked about past automations. Have a concrete story about a problem, your technical solution, and the measurable outcome.
• Focus on Security: Given ING's nature as a bank, always mention security-first practices when discussing infrastructure.
• Be Candid about Trade-offs: If asked about a tool, acknowledge its limitations. A senior engineer knows that every tool is a trade-off.

The role of DevOps Engineer at ING is a challenging, high-impact position that sits at the intersection of modern cloud architecture and secure banking operations. By focusing on your technical fundamentals, being prepared to discuss your project history in depth, and framing your solutions within the context of security and scale, you will be well-positioned to succeed.

Preparation is the most significant variable you can control. Use these insights to structure your study, practice your scenario-based answers, and approach each interview round with confidence. You can find additional resources and insights on Dataford to further refine your strategy. You have the skills to contribute to ING’s digital future—now, go demonstrate them.

The salary data provided represents market benchmarks for DevOps roles within the financial sector. Use this to understand the competitive range, but keep in mind that total compensation at ING often includes performance-based components and benefits that should be considered alongside the base salary.