Had initial call with HR screener to qualify experience and salary expectations. Surprisingly, they fast tracked me to an interview the same day with a Senior Program Manager and Program Manager. Senior Program Manager was a bit older and drove most of the interview. Seemed very cocky on how great the company is in that they always deliver on time, and how they win business from competitors. That is always a red flag to me when a company dogs their competitors. Most of the interview felt like he was trying to find reasons not to hire me, rather than focus on positive ways to contribute. I've been in software development project roles since the late 90's, so I've experienced it all. The Senior PM often focused on the science "textbook" skills rather than the reality of the art & science of being a successful project manager. I later realized he was a rigid ITIL guy, which explained a lot. Agile and ITIL don't mix well. The other program manager seemed like a nicer, more empathetic guy but the older Senior Program Manager dominated most of the call. For the salary range they were offering ($90-110K), the expectations just didn't align, which is probably why the role has been posted for some months. I get calls all the time for roles that start at $125K and up.

The interview was pretty standard: questions about the basics of Agile and Scrum, how I handle conflict, etc. I spent an hour with a Scrum Master (Product Manager) and the first half included the a Senior Program Manager, whom had to leave half-way through the interview. That's never a good feeling, as I did not feel the SPM was engaged in our conversation (the rest follows suit) After the first 30 minutes, the Senior PM left and I spent most of the next 30 minutes with the Scrum Master/Product Manager asking questions about the company, how they operate, etc. I was well prepared and had what felt like a positive interview, hopeful of it leading to a final round. The SM even wished me luck and hoped I make it to the next round. Throughout the process, the recruiter had kept me well informed and we communicated frequently. I was (coldly) informed via email that the company decided to go another direction, without any details. Receiving an email that felt insincere and not genuine. I may have dodged a bullet but wanted to know the details of the decision. I was then called by the recruiter, with whom I was communicating and emailed about the rejection, and was still not provided information around why I was rejected. However, it was explained that I received an automated email once the team decided they did not want to move forward. All in all, not a great experience.