A Systems Engineer at PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric Company) plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety, reliability, and resilience of one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy infrastructures in the United States. Operating within a highly regulated environment, these engineers are responsible for designing, analyzing, and maintaining complex systems that deliver energy to millions of Californians. The work directly impacts public safety, grid modernization, and the integration of clean, renewable energy technologies.

In this role, you will bridge the gap between traditional utility infrastructure and modern digital control systems. Because PG&E is currently navigating a massive transformation—driven by wildfire mitigation efforts, climate change adaptation, and grid decentralization—the systems you manage will have a direct public impact. This is not just a technical role; it is a position of public trust that requires a deep commitment to operational excellence and safety.

Working as a Systems Engineer means collaborating across multidisciplinary teams, including field operations, software development, regulatory affairs, and asset management. You will help manage the lifecycle of critical infrastructure, ensuring that legacy systems are safely decommissioned or upgraded while new, automated technologies are seamlessly integrated. It is a highly collaborative environment where systems thinking and long-term planning are essential for success.

The following questions are representative of what candidates face during the PG&E selection process. They are drawn from real candidate experiences and are designed to assess your technical background, alignment with company values, and behavioral competency using the STAR method.

Company & Industry Alignment

These questions assess your understanding of PG&E's unique position as a regulated utility and your long-term career motivations.

• What do you know about PG&E and the regulatory oversight of the CPUC (California Public Utilities Commission)?
• Why do you want to work in the public utility sector, and why PG&E specifically?

To succeed in the PG&E interview process, you must approach your preparation with a clear understanding of the utility sector's unique demands. The company values structured thinkers who prioritize safety above all else, communicate clearly, and demonstrate a strong desire to build a long-term career.

Key Evaluation Criteria

Safety and Compliance Focus – Safety is the foundational value at PG&E. Interviewers will evaluate your ability to identify hazards, follow strict protocols, and champion safety measures, even when under tight project deadlines.

Structured Problem Solving – You must demonstrate a logical, methodical approach to technical and operational challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions, ensuring your contributions and technical reasoning are clearly articulated.

Leadership and Initiative – PG&E actively looks for candidates who take ownership of their work and can lead projects without constant supervision. They value self-starters who can mobilize cross-functional teams and drive initiatives forward.

Long-Term Commitment – With a significant portion of the utility workforce approaching retirement, PG&E is highly focused on succession planning. They look for candidates who want to grow within the company and are committed to a long-term career in the energy sector.

The interview process for a Systems Engineer at PG&E varies depending on how you enter the pipeline. Candidates applying through traditional online portals experience a thorough, structured, and sometimes slow-moving process. Conversely, candidates recruited through university partnerships or major professional conferences (such as the Society of Women Engineers) often experience an accelerated, highly conversational pipeline that can move from initial contact to an offer in a matter of days.

For the standard hiring track, the process begins with an automated online screening. This is typically a recorded video interview consisting of five pre-recorded questions. You are given one minute to read and digest the prompt, followed by two minutes to record your response. This stage focuses on basic behavioral questions, your knowledge of PG&E, and your engineering background.

If you pass the initial screen, the department hiring manager or a senior engineer will conduct a technical and behavioral phone interview. This conversation is highly interactive, focusing on your resume, past projects, and situational problem-solving. Successful candidates are then invited to an on-site interview, which includes a facility tour, a deep-dive panel discussion, and a chance to meet the team.

The timeline above represents the typical progression for an off-campus applicant. It highlights the transition from asynchronous automated screening to highly interactive, personal discussions with the engineering team. Candidates should use this timeline to pace their technical preparation and deeply research PG&E's current grid initiatives before the department interview.

To excel in the Systems Engineer interview, you must understand the specific competencies PG&E evaluates at each stage. Your technical capability must be matched by strong communication skills and an understanding of the utility landscape.

Behavioral and Leadership (STAR Method)

PG&E relies heavily on behavioral interviewing to assess cultural fit and leadership potential. They want to see how you behave in real-world scenarios, resolve conflicts, and handle ambiguity.

Be ready to go over:

• Project Leadership – Your ability to define project scope, manage timelines, and deliver results.
• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements with colleagues, contractors, or regulatory bodies.
• Adherence to Safety – Concrete examples of how you prioritized safety over speed or cost.

Example scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you noticed a safety hazard or process inefficiency and took the initiative to correct it."
• "Describe a situation where a project you were leading fell behind schedule. How did you get it back on track?"

Utility Industry and Company Context

Because PG&E is a regulated utility, decisions are governed by strict compliance laws, public safety mandates, and CPUC oversight. Showing that you understand these dynamics is critical.

Be ready to go over:

• CPUC Regulation – How regulatory compliance shapes engineering design and project funding.
• Grid Modernization Challenges – The transition from centralized power generation to distributed energy resources (DERs).
• Aging Infrastructure – Managing risk when maintaining and upgrading legacy utility systems.

Example scenarios:

• "Why are you interested in working for a regulated utility rather than a traditional tech company?"
• "How would you explain the importance of grid resilience to a non-technical stakeholder?"

Project Management and Engineering Execution

Systems engineering at PG&E requires managing complex, multi-layered projects with many moving parts. You must prove you can track details without losing sight of the broader system architecture.

Be ready to go over:

• Requirements Gathering – How you define system requirements with diverse stakeholders.
• Risk Mitigation – Identifying potential system failures before they occur.
• Vendor and Contractor Management – Collaborating with external partners to execute engineering designs.

Example scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would plan a major system upgrade without causing service interruptions."
• "Describe a time you had to manage a project with a highly constrained budget or tight regulatory deadline."