I contacted via Linkedin the job poster (from HR) in Germany and we arranged a 30-minute interview. She briefly described the company explaining the ties between the newly formed Merkle and the parent company dentsu. She also explained that Merkle Italy is growing fast and that it is supported by Merkle DACH in this process. A salary of 75000€ without a bonus sounded like a justified request.
Two more interviews took place thereafter. The first one was cancelled without reason. This interview was then rearranged and took place after the interview with the employee of Merkle DACH who would be moving to a different role. It was him who explained that due to a large, multi-annual project with an American company in the automotive sector, they were searching for a Lead Consultant - Research and Insights to substitute him. He would need to lead a team of 2-3 people, working on a project that involved about 150 colleagues from several Merkle geographies. The client's European headquarters are in Zurich. In this interview, questions regarding my approach to a hypothetical fidelity scheme were asked.
The interview with the supervisor at the Italian office finally took place on a different day and was an opportunity to clarify the formal details of direct and indirect reporting lines and their consequences. Also, in this interview, questions regarding my professional past were asked.
I never received feedback (or a formal rejection).