Netflix Senior Data Scientist Interview Preparation Guide - Ads Data Science & Engineering Team (2025)

Netflix's Data Scientist interview process for senior-level candidates in the Ads Data Science and Engineering team spans 4-8 weeks across 6 distinct stages. The process begins with a recruiter screening assessing background, motivation, and cultural fit with Netflix's 'Freedom & Responsibility' philosophy. This is followed by a rigorous technical phone screen evaluating SQL, Python, statistics, and A/B testing knowledge within the ads context. The core evaluation consists of four onsite interviews conducted over one or two days, covering: (1) experimentation and ads analytics with focus on multi-stakeholder trade-offs and yield optimization, (2) machine learning and forecasting models emphasizing demand prediction and production system design, (3) data infrastructure and ad server systems including simulation capabilities and petabyte-scale pipeline design, and (4) behavioral assessment of collaboration, impact, and cultural alignment. Throughout all rounds, Netflix evaluates technical depth in large-scale data analysis, experimental rigor in complex ads environments, ability to translate insights into monetization impact, production ML system design and monitoring, autonomous project ownership, and strategic thinking about emerging ads business.