Be ready to go over:

• Competitor Profiling – Analyzing competitors' strengths, weaknesses, and strategic directions.
• Operational Efficiency – Identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for optimization within a supply chain or business model.
• Market Entry Frameworks – Evaluating barriers to entry, regulatory landscapes, and customer demand dynamics.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Platform economics, network effects, and disruptive technology forecasting.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Analyze the strategic implications of a major competitor expanding their logistics network. How should Koch respond?"
• "If you were tasked with evaluating the operational efficiency of a manufacturing facility, what key performance indicators would you track?"

Quantitative & Technical Assessments

You must demonstrate that you have the technical foundation required to handle rigorous data analysis. This is often evaluated through hands-on tests, including timed Excel assessments and quantitative reasoning exercises.

Be ready to go over:

• Excel Modeling – Building clean, dynamic models using advanced formulas, pivot tables, and data structuring techniques.
• Data Interpretation – Extracting meaningful trends and anomalies from raw datasets quickly and accurately.
• Calculation Speed & Accuracy – Performing basic financial and economic calculations under time constraints.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Statistical forecasting, regression analysis, and data visualization best practices.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Complete this timed Excel test where you must clean a messy raw dataset, calculate margin projections, and build a summary dashboard."
• "Given this balance sheet and market demand data, calculate the projected return on investment for a proposed plant expansion."

As a Research Analyst at Koch, your day-to-day responsibilities will be highly dynamic, shifting alongside market conditions and business priorities. You will be expected to take extreme ownership of your research domain, proactively identifying trends and risks before they impact the business.

Your primary deliverable will be high-quality, actionable market intelligence. This involves conducting deep-dive research into specific commodity markets, industrial sectors, or macroeconomic trends. You will gather data from a wide variety of sources, synthesize your findings, and build predictive models to forecast supply, demand, and pricing dynamics.

Collaboration is central to this role. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including traders, business development managers, engineers, and operations leaders. Your role is to provide the analytical backbone for their strategic initiatives, helping them refine their hypotheses and stress-test their assumptions. You will regularly prepare comprehensive research reports and present your findings directly to senior leadership, acting as a trusted advisor to the decision-makers.

To be competitive for the Research Analyst position at Koch, you must possess a strong blend of quantitative skills, strategic business acumen, and interpersonal capabilities.

• Must-have skills – Advanced proficiency in Excel (including index/match, pivot tables, and financial modeling); strong understanding of microeconomic and macroeconomic principles; exceptional written and verbal communication skills; and a proven track record of structured problem-solving.
• Nice-to-have skills – Experience with data visualization tools (such as Power BI or Tableau); familiarity with statistical programming languages (like Python or R); and prior exposure to commodity trading, energy markets, or industrial manufacturing sectors.

Typically, successful candidates hold a bachelor's or master's degree in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, or a highly quantitative field. While prior internship or professional experience in research or analysis is highly valued, Koch also recruits heavily from top university programs, looking for high-potential individuals who demonstrate a strong alignment with their cultural values and a passion for continuous learning.

Q: How difficult is the Koch Research Analyst interview process? A: Candidates generally rate the process as difficult. This is due to the dual focus on cultural alignment through Market-Based Management (MBM) and rigorous technical evaluations, such as timed Excel tests, calculation assessments, and case presentations.

Q: How important is MBM in the hiring decision? A: It is absolutely critical. You can pass every technical test perfectly, but if you do not demonstrate alignment with Koch's core values and the principles of MBM, you are unlikely to receive an offer. Take the time to study these concepts deeply.

Q: What should I expect during the Excel and calculation tests? A: Expect a fast-paced, timed assessment designed to test your accuracy under pressure. You will need to clean data, perform calculations, and structure your output in a way that is easy for an interviewer to follow and interpret.

Q: What is the typical timeline from application to offer? A: The timeline generally ranges from four to eight weeks. It typically involves an initial recruiter screen, a virtual hiring manager interview, and a comprehensive final-round onsite or virtual panel, with decisions communicated within two weeks of the final stage.

To stand out in your interviews for the Research Analyst position, keep these practical, insider tips in mind:

• Connect MBM to your personal experiences: Do not just memorize the Market-Based Management guiding principles. Prepare specific stories from your past where you naturally demonstrated these values, such as practicing principled entrepreneurship or utilizing knowledge systems to solve a problem.
• Practice timed case analysis: Because some interview locations require rapid-fire calculations and presentations, practice analyzing a business case and structuring a 5-minute executive summary under tight time constraints.
• Show your intellectual humility: At Koch, humility is highly valued. If you do not know the answer to a technical question or lack data for a case study, openly admit it. Explain how you would go about finding the necessary information rather than guessing.

• Focus on value creation, not just cost reduction: When discussing business strategies, emphasize how your recommendations create long-term, mutually beneficial value for customers, the company, and society, rather than focusing solely on short-term cost-cutting.

The Research Analyst position at Koch is an exceptional opportunity to drive high-impact strategic decisions within a global powerhouse. By mastering Market-Based Management (MBM) and demonstrating sharp analytical rigor, you can position yourself as a highly competitive candidate. Focus your preparation on structured problem-solving, timed technical assessments, and clear communication of your insights.

The salary data reflects the competitive compensation package offered for this role, which typically includes a strong base salary and performance-based incentives aligned with the value you create. Use this data to understand the market value of your skillset and to guide your expectations as you progress through the hiring stages.

To further accelerate your preparation and gain access to additional real-world interview insights, salary data, and preparation resources, continue exploring the tools available on Dataford. With focused preparation, you can confidently navigate the Koch interview process and secure your next career milestone.