I was contacted by an internal recruiter before the job description was defined and approved. The job sounded like an exact match, a trend which continued as more information was provided and the JD was forwarded. I was brought on site for what was scheduled to be 4 back to back meetings. While preparing I was concerned to see that an individual in the hiring loop would be a subordinate to the successful candidate. This person was considered the related Subject Matter Expert despite not being considered for the more senior position. The schedule became fluid, which is to be expected when trying to interview with those in the decision process at this level. The second meeting was with the internal recruiter's boss who actually said "I can't imagine you won't be invited back for a second round". This was after he spent a few minutes with the first person I met with, the hiring manager. While all 4 meetings seemed to go well, I was concerned with the last discussion: the individual who would end up reporting in to the successful candidate. He asked an unexpected question regarding deep technical expertise which deviated from the stated requirements for the role. I took it in stride, but in the follow up I was informed that my limited experience for this unstated requirement was the reason I wasn't selected. Somewhere there was a disconnect. Even more frustrating, I understand that the role is still open and they are rethinking the job description. The company seems like a great place to work but I suggest caution when interviewing for a senior role. It seems that even with the job description approval process there is an issue agreeing on the requisite qualifications.

30 min interviews with recruiter then with hiring manager and then with SVP. Questions from the recruiter were based around job qualifications. Other interviewers questions dealt more with culture and values.