Recruiter was very responsive. Had two rounds. Smooth process in meeting the hiring manager and the team. Pay is competitive. Far better experience than many other places I interviewed. They also have a brand new office which is connected to the metro in Reston which is a huge bonus.

I had five interviews in total and the process stretched beyond two months. I was told by the internal recruiter multiple times toward the end of the interview process that I was the hiring manager's preferred candidate and that I would likely receive an offer. We discussed salary, benefits, and start date. After some anxious waiting, I was told that they chose the other candidate for reasons that were either frivolous or contradicted the recruiter's assertion that my experience was superior. I was quite shocked. I do not feel entitled to the job, but I think it was unprofessional for the recruiter to set my expectations so high when I clearly did not have such a big edge over the competition. Furthermore, one of the interviewers, who is a very senior leader and likely influential in the decision, hardly bothered to get to know me in our interview. She asked me to introduce herself and then spent the rest of the time talking about her own program. Later, the recruiter said that she preferred the other candidate because they had a better "connection" and he seemed more knowledgeable. It felt unfair, since I barely scratched the surface of my qualifications and knowledge with her. In short: Just do your best and take nothing for granted. Keep looking elsewhere no matter how confident you feel about your odds.