Internal recruiter initial phone discussion was upbeat, professional and friendly. Subsequent follow ups with the same recruiter were equally enjoyable. The following two phone interviews with IT personnel glanced the surface on technical know-how. The in-people "final" interviews did not include a panel as described. No offer, though nonetheless fairly smooth.
Job description was generic and appeared minimal in detail, as if the intention was to cast a wide net. In hindsight, there were warning signs with several diatribes on the previous tech's lackluster performance (some Google searching showed he was there for seven years and basically set up the NYC shop. How bad could he be?). Other signs were open ended questions probing for acceptance of micromanagement. The overall experience was good.
Even though there was no offer, I am not sure whether I would have accepted the position.