I was introduced with the department manager via e-mail by a former co-worker who had been offered a position but turned it down. The interview consisted of me meeting with the department head and the group supervisor and chatting about my resume, the position, and the company for about an hour. Due to the fact that every project has different requirements for bringing people on, it can take a while to get approval. From the time I interviewed to the time I was given an offer was about 7 months. If the people like you, they will try to get you on board even if it isn't right away.