I interviewed for this position in early 2022 and made it far into the interview process (1 screening, 1 hiring manager, 2 colleague - 4 total interviews). I followed up after the last step with additional questions for the hiring manager and was pushed off for THREE weeks. I finally received a notice that they decided on another candidate. In mid-2022, I received outreach from the same recruiter about another opportunity on the team and the recruiter shed light on my previous application. The recruiter mentioned that the department had funding cut earlier in the year. While the team was originally looking to hire 2 candidates, they were only able to hire 1 and the candidate they chose didn't work out so the hiring manager was looking to backfill. The interview process was less involved and the conversation was more casual because the hiring manager and I were already acquainted. After the interview, I sent questions and the hiring manager responded quickly. The recruiter advised that they were preparing to make an offer and were doing some additional interviews as due diligence. FIVE WEEKS LATER, I finally receive the offer and did some negotiations. I ultimately decided not to take the offer because (1) the department funding and resources were lacking, (2) the process took too long, and (3) lack of communication during the process.