Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company dedicated to addressing critical national challenges through innovative solutions in various fields such as military defense, space exploration, and biomedical engineering.

As a Research Scientist at Draper, you will engage in collaborative, multidisciplinary teams to tackle complex problems from inception to deployment. Your key responsibilities will include conducting system engineering analyses, developing simulation-based performance assessments, and contributing to R&D proposals. You should possess a system-level perspective, strong oral and written communication skills, and practical experience in simulation and systems engineering processes. A solid background in engineering, physics, or mathematics, along with 3-5 years of relevant experience, will help you thrive in this role, which is rooted in Draper's values of innovation, collaboration, and commitment to quality.

This guide will equip you with the insights and preparation necessary to excel in your interview and demonstrate your fit for the dynamic and impactful work at Draper.

The interview process for a Research Scientist role at Draper is designed to assess both technical expertise and cultural fit within the organization. The process typically unfolds in several structured stages, each focusing on different aspects of the candidate's qualifications and alignment with Draper's mission.

1. Initial Screening

The first step in the interview process is an initial screening, which usually takes place via a phone call with a recruiter. This conversation lasts about 30 minutes and serves to gauge your interest in the role, discuss your background, and evaluate your fit for Draper's collaborative culture. The recruiter will also provide insights into the company’s values and the specific expectations for the Research Scientist position.

2. Technical Interview

Following the initial screening, candidates typically undergo a technical interview. This stage may involve a video call with a senior scientist or engineer, where you will be asked to demonstrate your knowledge in systems engineering, simulation-based performance analysis, and relevant coding skills. Expect to discuss your previous projects and how they relate to the responsibilities outlined in the job description. This interview assesses your problem-solving abilities and your approach to complex engineering challenges.

3. Behavioral Interview

The behavioral interview is another critical component of the process. This round focuses on your interpersonal skills, teamwork, and adaptability. You will be asked to provide examples of how you have worked within multidisciplinary teams, handled project challenges, and communicated technical information effectively. This stage is essential for determining how well you align with Draper's collaborative and innovative work environment.

4. Onsite Interview

The final stage is typically an onsite interview, which may consist of multiple rounds with different team members. During this phase, you will engage in in-depth discussions about your technical expertise, including your understanding of systems engineering processes, modeling and simulation tools, and any specific technologies relevant to the role. You may also be asked to present a technical report or analysis, showcasing your ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.

Throughout the interview process, candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their organizational skills, system-level thinking, and commitment to continuous learning, as these are highly valued at Draper.

Now that you have an understanding of the interview process, let’s delve into the specific questions that candidates have encountered during their interviews.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Mission and Values

Draper is dedicated to tackling significant national challenges through innovative solutions. Familiarize yourself with their mission, values, and recent projects. This knowledge will not only help you align your responses with the company’s goals but also demonstrate your genuine interest in contributing to their impactful work.

Emphasize Collaboration and Communication Skills

Given Draper’s multidisciplinary team environment, showcasing your ability to work collaboratively is crucial. Prepare examples that highlight your experience in team settings, particularly how you’ve communicated complex ideas effectively to diverse audiences. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential, so practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely.

Highlight Technical Proficiency

As a Research Scientist, you will likely be expected to have a solid grasp of systems engineering processes and simulation-based performance analysis. Brush up on relevant technical skills, including modeling and simulation tools, coding languages, and descriptive modeling techniques like SysML. Be ready to discuss your practical experience in these areas and how you’ve applied them in past projects.

Prepare for Problem-Solving Scenarios

Draper values candidates who can approach problems with a system-level perspective. Be prepared to discuss specific challenges you’ve faced in previous roles and how you navigated them. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses, focusing on your analytical thinking and decision-making processes.

Adaptability is Key

The ability to adapt to changing priorities and requirements is crucial in a dynamic research environment. Think of examples where you successfully adjusted your approach in response to new information or shifting project goals. This will demonstrate your flexibility and resilience, qualities that are highly valued at Draper.

Show Commitment to Continuous Learning

Draper encourages ongoing professional development. Be prepared to discuss how you stay current in your field, whether through formal education, workshops, or self-directed learning. Highlight any relevant certifications or courses you’ve completed that enhance your expertise and align with the role.

Be Ready for Security Clearance Discussions

Since the role may require obtaining a government security clearance, be prepared to discuss your eligibility and any relevant background information. Familiarize yourself with the clearance process and be honest about your history, as integrity is paramount in this field.

Engage with the Company Culture

Draper promotes a healthy work-life balance and values diversity. During your interview, express your appreciation for these aspects of their culture. You might also want to ask questions about employee engagement initiatives or team-building activities, showing that you are interested in being an active part of their community.

By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you will position yourself as a strong candidate for the Research Scientist role at Draper. Good luck!

Draper Research Scientist Interview Questions

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Research Scientist interview at Draper. The interview will likely focus on your technical expertise in systems engineering, simulation-based performance analysis, and your ability to communicate complex ideas effectively. Be prepared to discuss your experience in multidisciplinary teams and how you approach problem-solving in a structured manner.

Systems Engineering

1. Can you describe your experience with the systems engineering process and how you have applied it in past projects?

Understanding the systems engineering process is crucial for this role, and the interviewer will want to know how you have utilized it effectively.

How to Answer

Discuss specific projects where you applied systems engineering principles, emphasizing your role in the full development lifecycle from requirements capture to deployment.

Example

“In my previous role, I led a project where we developed a new avionics system. I was responsible for capturing requirements, conducting trade studies, and ensuring that our design met all specifications. By following a structured systems engineering process, we successfully delivered the project on time and within budget.”

2. How do you approach trade space exploration for integrated hardware/software systems?

This question assesses your ability to evaluate different design options and make informed decisions.

How to Answer

Explain your methodology for exploring trade-offs, including how you gather data, analyze options, and communicate findings to stakeholders.

Example

“I typically start by defining the key performance parameters and constraints. I then use simulation tools to model different configurations, analyzing their performance against our requirements. This data-driven approach allows me to present clear recommendations to the team, ensuring we make informed decisions.”

3. Describe a challenging problem you faced in a systems engineering project and how you resolved it.

The interviewer is looking for your problem-solving skills and resilience in the face of challenges.

How to Answer

Share a specific example, detailing the problem, your analysis, and the steps you took to resolve it.

Example

“During a project, we encountered a significant issue with system integration that threatened our timeline. I organized a series of cross-functional meetings to identify the root cause and facilitated brainstorming sessions to explore solutions. By fostering collaboration, we developed a workaround that allowed us to stay on schedule.”

4. What tools and methodologies do you use for simulation-based performance analysis?

This question gauges your technical proficiency and familiarity with relevant tools.

How to Answer

Discuss the specific tools you have used, your experience with them, and how they contributed to your analysis.

Example

“I have extensive experience using MATLAB and Simulink for simulation-based performance analysis. In my last project, I utilized these tools to model system behavior under various scenarios, which helped us identify potential failure points early in the design process.”

5. How do you ensure effective communication of technical information to non-technical stakeholders?

Communication is key in multidisciplinary teams, and the interviewer wants to know how you bridge the gap.

How to Answer

Describe your approach to simplifying complex concepts and ensuring clarity in your presentations.

Example

“I focus on using visual aids and analogies to explain technical concepts. For instance, when presenting a complex system architecture to a non-technical audience, I created diagrams that illustrated the relationships between components, which helped them grasp the overall functionality without getting lost in technical jargon.”

Simulation and Modeling

1. Can you explain your experience with modeling and simulation in systems engineering?

This question assesses your hands-on experience with modeling techniques.

How to Answer

Detail the types of models you have created and the impact they had on your projects.

Example

“I have worked extensively with SysML for modeling system requirements and behavior. In a recent project, I developed a comprehensive model that allowed us to visualize system interactions, which was instrumental in identifying design flaws early in the development process.”

2. What is your experience with descriptive modeling and how have you applied it in your work?

The interviewer is interested in your understanding of descriptive modeling techniques.

How to Answer

Discuss specific projects where you utilized descriptive modeling and the outcomes.

Example

“I applied descriptive modeling in a project focused on developing a new communication system. By creating detailed SysML diagrams, I was able to clarify system requirements and ensure alignment among team members, which ultimately led to a more cohesive design.”

3. How do you validate the accuracy of your simulation models?

Validation is critical in ensuring the reliability of your models, and the interviewer wants to know your approach.

How to Answer

Explain your validation process, including any techniques or benchmarks you use.

Example

“I validate my simulation models by comparing their outputs against real-world data and established benchmarks. For instance, in a recent project, I ran simulations and cross-referenced the results with historical performance data, which confirmed the model's accuracy and reliability.”

4. Describe a time when your simulation results influenced a design decision.

This question looks for evidence of your ability to leverage simulation data effectively.

How to Answer

Share a specific instance where your simulation work led to a significant design change.

Example

“During the development of a new guidance system, my simulations indicated that a particular design choice would lead to performance degradation under certain conditions. I presented these findings to the team, which prompted us to explore alternative designs that ultimately improved system reliability.”

5. What challenges have you faced when using simulation tools, and how did you overcome them?

The interviewer wants to understand your problem-solving skills in the context of simulation.

How to Answer

Discuss specific challenges and the strategies you employed to address them.

Example

“I once faced a challenge with a simulation tool that was not producing expected results. I took the initiative to review the model parameters and discovered a misconfiguration. By correcting this and running additional tests, I was able to ensure the accuracy of our simulations moving forward.”

• Identify all duplicate values in a list of integers. Given a list of integers, identify all the duplicate values in the list. Assume that the list can contain both positive and negative numbers, and the order of the list does not matter. A number is considered a duplicate if it appears more than once in the list. Return a list of the duplicate numbers.

• Select the top five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio. Write a query to account for duplicate rows in the employee_projects table and select the top five most expensive projects by budget to employee count ratio.

• Create a subquery or common table expression to find the top 3 ads and perform various joins. Create a subquery or common table expression named top_ads containing the top 3 ads by popularity and return the number of rows resulting from different join operations with the ads table.

• Find employees who joined before their manager. Find the names of all employees who joined before their manager using the employees and managers tables.

• Write a function to rotate a matrix by 90 degrees clockwise. Given an array filled with random values, write a function rotate_matrix to rotate the array by 90 degrees in the clockwise direction.

• - How do we select the best 10,000 customers for a pre-launch of a new show on Amazon Prime Video? You are working as a data scientist at Amazon Prime Video, and they want to test the launch of a new show on 10,000 customers first. How would you go about selecting the best 10,000 customers for the pre-launch?

• - What would the process look like for pre-launching a TV show on Amazon Prime to measure its performance? Describe the steps and metrics you would use to pre-launch a TV show on Amazon Prime and measure its performance.

• - How would you evaluate the results of an A/B test on an eCommerce checkout page for free shipping? You ran an A/B test on an eCommerce checkout page to see if surfacing free shipping increases conversions. The control group had no specification of free shipping, while the experiment group did. How would you evaluate the results and determine if the test was successful?

• - How would you conduct an experiment to test displaying ETA as a range instead of a direct estimate at Uber? A PM at Uber is considering a new feature to display ETA as a range (e.g., 3-7 minutes) instead of a direct estimate (e.g., 5 minutes). How would you conduct this experiment and determine if the results are significant?

• - How would you decide whether Google should build a game feature for Google Home? You are tasked with pitching a new feature for Google Home. A co-worker suggests building a game feature. How would you go about deciding whether Google should build it?

• - How would you measure the effectiveness of giving extra pay to delivery drivers during peak hours at a food delivery company? You work at a food delivery company and need to measure the effectiveness of giving extra pay to delivery drivers during peak hours to meet consumer demand. How would you measure this?

• What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression? When would you use one instead of the other? Explain the key differences between Logistic and Linear Regression. Describe scenarios where each method is more appropriate to use in practice.

• How would you explain what a p-value is to someone who is not technical? Explain the concept of a p-value in simple terms to a non-technical person. Use analogies or everyday examples to make it understandable.

• What is the difference between Logistic and Linear Regression? When would you use one instead of the other in practice? Describe the differences between Logistic and Linear Regression. Provide practical scenarios where each method would be appropriately applied.

Embarking on the journey with Draper as a Research Scientist promises a stimulating and rewarding career. Draper stands as a leading innovator in technology and engineering, offering the environment to push the boundaries of your scientific expertise.

If you want more insights about the company, check out our main Draper Interview Guide, where we have covered many interview questions that could be asked. We’ve also created interview guides for other roles, such as software engineer and data analyst, where you can learn more about Draper’s interview process for different positions.

At Interview Query, we empower you to unlock your interview prowess with a comprehensive toolkit, equipping you with the knowledge, confidence, and strategic guidance to conquer every Draper interview question and challenge.

You can check out all our company interview guides for better preparation, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Good luck with your interview!