A Software Engineer at Marathon Petroleum plays a critical role in driving the digital transformation of one of the largest downstream energy companies in the United States. Unlike traditional tech companies, software engineering here is deeply integrated with physical operations, supply chain logistics, refining technology, and retail marketing. Engineers in this role develop, maintain, and optimize the highly secure, scalable, and reliable software systems that keep fuel flowing safely and efficiently across the nation.

Your work will directly impact critical business areas, such as terminal automation systems, real-time refinery monitoring platforms, complex supply chain logistics, and enterprise-level analytics. The applications you build and support ensure operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and workplace safety. This unique intersection of hardware, industrial operations, and modern software development provides a challenging and rewarding environment for engineers who want to see their code have a tangible impact on the physical world.

As a Software Engineer at Marathon Petroleum, you will work closely with cross-functional teams, including operations managers, data scientists, and industrial engineers. The company heavily values collaborative problem-solvers who can bridge the gap between complex software systems and day-to-day industrial operations. Whether you are optimizing a database for terminal tracking or implementing a cloud-based asset management tool, your contributions are vital to maintaining the company's competitive edge in the energy sector.

The following questions are representative of what candidates face during the Marathon Petroleum hiring process. These questions are drawn from real interview experiences and are designed to evaluate your behavioral alignment, teamwork capabilities, and approach to problem-solving.

Behavioral & Leadership (STAR Method)

These questions assess your past behavior in professional or academic settings to predict your future performance and alignment with company values.

• Tell me about a time when you had to put 100% of your effort into a project to ensure its success. What was the outcome?
• Describe a situation where you had to balance heavy course loads, extracurricular activities, and work commitments. How did you manage your time?

To succeed in the Marathon Petroleum interview process, you must prepare to showcase both your technical foundations and your interpersonal capabilities. The hiring team evaluates candidates across several core competencies.

Behavioral Competency – Marathon Petroleum relies heavily on behavioral interviewing. You must master the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Ensure your responses focus on your specific actions and the quantifiable results of your work.

Collaboration & Teamwork – Because software projects support massive physical operations, engineers must work seamlessly with diverse teams. You should prepare concrete examples of how you have collaborated with non-technical stakeholders, resolved conflicts, and contributed to a positive team environment.

Problem-Solving & Adaptability – Interviewers want to see how you approach ambiguity and unexpected technical hurdles. Be ready to explain your logical thought process when diagnosing system issues or designing software solutions.

Industry Alignment – Showing a genuine interest in the energy sector and understanding Marathon Petroleum's business model (downstream refining, midstream transport, and marketing) will set you apart from other candidates.

The interview process at Marathon Petroleum is structured to be conversational, straightforward, and highly focused on cultural fit and behavioral alignment. For entry-level positions, co-ops, and internships, the process often begins at university career fairs, followed by rapid next-day on-campus interviews. For experienced hires, the journey typically starts with a recruiter phone screen or a digital video submission.

Following the initial screen, candidates transition to panel interviews. These panels are typically comprised of human resources representatives and senior engineering managers. For some roles, you may be interviewed by engineers from other disciplines, such as chemical or industrial engineering, to evaluate how well you collaborate across functional boundaries. Onsite interviews for advanced roles or specific locations often include a facility or refinery tour, giving you a firsthand look at the scale of the operations your software will support.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from the initial application to the final offer. Candidates should interpret this as a standard framework, noting that the transition from the virtual or phone screen to the panel stage is where the evaluation shifts from basic qualification to deep behavioral and situational fit. Use this timeline to pace your preparation, focusing heavily on behavioral stories ahead of the panel and onsite stages.

To secure an offer as a Software Engineer, you must demonstrate strength in three key evaluation areas during your panel and onsite interviews.

Behavioral & Situational Alignment

This area evaluates your soft skills, work ethic, and decision-making processes. Marathon Petroleum seeks self-motivated individuals who can handle the pressure of supporting critical infrastructure.

Be ready to go over:

• Time Management – How you prioritize competing deadlines and manage your workload.
• Conflict Resolution – Practical strategies you use to resolve professional disagreements.
• Overcoming Adversity – Examples of how you navigated project failures or unexpected roadblocks.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Navigating corporate hierarchy, managing stakeholder expectations across different departments, and handling shifting project scopes.

Example scenarios:

• "Describe a time when you had to manage a project with a very tight deadline while maintaining high-quality standards."
• "Tell me about a time you had to compromise on a technical decision to meet a business requirement."

Technical & Project Execution

While the interview process is famously conversational, you must be able to discuss your technical decisions intelligently. You will not face highly abstract algorithmic puzzle questions, but you will be expected to defend the architecture of your past projects.

Be ready to go over:

• System Design Foundations – Basic understanding of how databases, APIs, and front-end systems interact.
• Code Quality & Testing – Your approach to writing clean, maintainable, and thoroughly tested code.
• Debugging & Troubleshooting – Your methodology for identifying and fixing bugs in production systems.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Integrating legacy industrial systems with modern cloud infrastructure, data pipelining, and SCADA network security.

Example scenarios:

• "Walk me through the architecture of a web application you built, explaining why you chose your specific technology stack."
• "How would you design a system to process real-time data feeds from multiple physical locations?"

Workplace Fit & Operational Safety

At Marathon Petroleum, safety and operational integrity are paramount. The interviewers want to ensure you possess a safety-first mindset and are willing to adapt to the unique requirements of working in the energy sector.

Be ready to go over:

• Safety Mindset – Understanding how software quality directly impacts physical safety in refining and logistics.
• Geographical Flexibility – Your willingness to travel to different facilities or potentially relocate to support regional operations.
• Regulatory Compliance – Awareness of working within highly regulated environments, such as Department of Transportation (DOT) standards.

Example scenarios:

• "How do you ensure safety and compliance are built into your software development lifecycle?"
• "Are you comfortable traveling to refinery locations to collaborate with onsite operational teams?"