Who is this DevSecOps Engineer interview plan for?

It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the Security in DevOps Discussion round for a DevSecOps Engineer role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 11 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.

What does the Security in DevOps Discussion round assess?

This round is focused on: Security in DevOps, Best Practices, Policy Implementation, Vulnerability Management, Security Automation. It works through Introduction, Security in DevOps, Vulnerability Management and Security Automation, Collaboration and Problem-solving and Closing, scoring against 72 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on all 11 questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.

How is the 60 min split up?

Introduction (5 min), Security in DevOps (15 min), Vulnerability Management and Security Automation (15 min), Collaboration and Problem-solving (15 min), Closing (5 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.

What other rounds should I run for a DevSecOps Engineer?

A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a DevSecOps Engineer are Behavioral Interview, CI/CD Pipeline Security Assessment, Coding Test, Problem-solving Test and Technical Interview. Each is a separate plan you can use as it is.

Interview plan template

Use Template

to edit & run interviews

DevSecOps Engineer interview questionsSecurity in DevOps Discussion round

A 60 min interview plan with a time-boxed script, what each question is for, and the signals to score against. Key skills: Security in DevOps, Best Practices, Policy Implementation, Vulnerability Management, Security Automation.

Click "Use template" to edit

Introduction

5 min

•

Hi, I’m [YOUR_NAME], and I’m a [YOUR_TITLE] at [COMPANY_NAME]. I’m excited to learn more about your experience today.

•

Could you briefly introduce yourself and share what attracted you to apply for this position?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess communication skills, alignment with the role, and initial confidence.

Signals to score

Clear introduction provided
Relevant experience mentioned
Motivations for applying explained
Alignment with team values
Specific skills highlighted
Response is concise and organized
Understanding of role requirements

Follow-up questions

What excites you most about this position?
How does your background align with our team’s work?
What specific skills do you bring to this role?
Why are you interested in DevSecOps?

•

Great, thank you for sharing! In the next 50 minutes, we’ll discuss your experience with security in DevOps and related topics. After that, you can ask any questions you have about the role or the company.

Security in DevOps

15 min

•

How do you integrate security practices into the DevOps lifecycle?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate knowledge of security integration in DevOps.

Signals to score

Security practices mentioned
Integration with CI/CD pipelines
Use of security tools
Collaboration with development teams
Continuous monitoring emphasized
Automation of security tasks
Awareness of security policies

Follow-up questions

What tools do you use for security integration?
How do you ensure security in CI/CD?
Can you give an example of a security practice?
How do you collaborate with developers on security?

•

What are some common security challenges in DevOps, and how do you address them?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess problem-solving skills and awareness of security challenges.

Signals to score

Identification of common challenges
Solutions provided
Examples of past experiences
Proactive measures mentioned
Collaboration with teams
Continuous improvement
Risk management

Follow-up questions

Can you name a specific challenge you faced?
How did you overcome it?
What proactive measures do you take?
How do you manage risks?

•

How do you ensure compliance with security policies in a DevOps environment?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate understanding of policy implementation and compliance.

Signals to score

Knowledge of security policies
Implementation strategies
Compliance monitoring
Use of tools for compliance
Collaboration with compliance teams
Documentation practices
Continuous auditing

Follow-up questions

What policies are you familiar with?
How do you implement them?
What tools do you use for compliance?
How do you ensure continuous auditing?

Vulnerability Management and Security Automation

15 min

•

How do you manage vulnerabilities in a DevOps pipeline?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate knowledge of vulnerability management.

Signals to score

Identification of vulnerabilities
Use of scanning tools
Prioritization of vulnerabilities
Remediation strategies
Collaboration with teams
Continuous monitoring
Automation of vulnerability management

Follow-up questions

What tools do you use for vulnerability scanning?
How do you prioritize vulnerabilities?
Can you give an example of a remediation strategy?
How do you automate vulnerability management?

•

What role does automation play in enhancing security in DevOps?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess understanding of security automation.

Signals to score

Automation tools mentioned
Benefits of automation
Examples of automated tasks
Integration with CI/CD
Reduction of manual errors
Continuous security checks
Efficiency improvements

Follow-up questions

What tasks do you automate?
How does automation benefit security?
Can you give an example of an automated process?
How do you integrate automation with CI/CD?

•

How do you ensure that automated security checks are effective?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate effectiveness of automated security checks.

Signals to score

Regular updates
Testing of automated checks
Monitoring of results
Feedback loops
Collaboration with teams
Continuous improvement
Use of metrics

Follow-up questions

How do you test automated checks?
What metrics do you use?
How do you ensure continuous improvement?
How do you collaborate with teams?

Collaboration and Problem-solving

15 min

•

Describe a time when you had to collaborate with a team to solve a security issue.

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate collaboration and problem-solving skills.

Signals to score

Clear description of the issue
Collaboration with team members
Problem-solving steps
Effective communication
Successful resolution
Lessons learned
Task ownership

Follow-up questions

What was the issue?
How did you collaborate with the team?
What steps did you take to solve it?
What was the outcome?

•

How do you prioritize tasks when dealing with multiple security issues?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Assess time management and task prioritization skills.

Signals to score

Prioritization methods
Use of tools for task management
Consideration of impact and urgency
Communication with stakeholders
Time management strategies
Task ownership
Adaptability

Follow-up questions

What methods do you use for prioritization?
How do you manage your time?
How do you communicate with stakeholders?
How do you adapt to changing priorities?

•

How do you ensure effective communication with cross-functional teams?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Evaluate communication and collaboration skills.

Signals to score

Clear communication methods
Use of collaboration tools
Regular meetings
Active listening
Feedback loops
Adaptability
Building relationships

Follow-up questions

What communication methods do you use?
How do you ensure clarity?
How do you use collaboration tools?
How do you build relationships with teams?

Closing

5 min

•

Do you have any questions for me about the team or the company?

What this question is for, and what to listen for

Purpose

Gauge the candidate’s curiosity and interest in the role.

Signals to score

Thoughtful questions asked
Interest in company culture
Curiosity about growth expressed
Questions about role raised
Inquiries about team challenges
Engagement with responses shown
Desire to learn next steps
Focus on company values expressed

Follow-up questions

What interests you most about this team?
Are there any areas of the role you’d like to explore further?
What are the company’s growth plans?
How does the team handle challenges?

•

Thank you for your time today. We’ll be in touch soon regarding the next steps.

Use Template

to edit & run interviews

Interview Template

Position

DevSecOps Engineer

Round

Security in DevOps Discussion for 60 min

Key skills

Security in DevOps, Best Practices, Policy Implementation, Vulnerability Management, Security Automation

DevSecOps Engineer interviews — common questions

Who is this DevSecOps Engineer interview plan for?: It is written for the interviewer, not the candidate: the hiring manager, engineer or panel member running the Security in DevOps Discussion round for a DevSecOps Engineer role. It gives you a 60 min script to follow in the conversation — 11 questions with what each one is for and the signals to score against — so you are not writing the round from scratch the night before.
What does the Security in DevOps Discussion round assess?: This round is focused on: Security in DevOps, Best Practices, Policy Implementation, Vulnerability Management, Security Automation. It works through Introduction, Security in DevOps, Vulnerability Management and Security Automation, Collaboration and Problem-solving and Closing, scoring against 72 observable signals, with follow-up prompts on all 11 questions for going deeper where an answer is thin.
How is the 60 min split up?: Introduction (5 min), Security in DevOps (15 min), Vulnerability Management and Security Automation (15 min), Collaboration and Problem-solving (15 min), Closing (5 min). The timings are there so the round stays on schedule and every candidate gets the same shape of interview — which is what makes two candidates comparable afterwards.
What other rounds should I run for a DevSecOps Engineer?: A single round does not cover a whole role. The other rounds in this library for a DevSecOps Engineer:
Behavioral Interview
CI/CD Pipeline Security Assessment
Coding Test
Problem-solving Test
Technical Interview