The process involved six rounds: three video interviews with the CEO and senior leadership, one in-person meeting, and a final conversation with the person responsible for their government funding. Throughout these conversations, I was told multiple times that I was the only candidate being considered and that the team was essentially waiting on my decision to move forward.
Based on this, I informed other companies I was in final rounds with that I had an offer pending. After the final meeting, the organization abruptly changed direction without providing a clear or consistent explanation. When I asked for clarity, the response was vague and avoided addressing the specific commitments and statements made earlier in the process.
The experience left me feeling that the company may not have been aligned internally on the role or may have been using the interview process to gather insight rather than genuinely move toward a hire.