Preparing for an interview at SoCalGas requires a strategic approach that balances technical project management expertise with highly structured communication. The panel of interviewers will look for specific markers that indicate you can handle the scale and regulatory rigor of the utility sector.

To succeed, you must align your preparation with the key evaluation criteria that SoCalGas prioritizes:

Safety and Compliance Leadership – Safety is the foundational value of SoCalGas. You must demonstrate a proactive commitment to safety, showing that you prioritize operational integrity and compliance above project speed or cost.

Structured Communication – Your interviewers will evaluate how clearly and logically you present information. You must structure your behavioral answers using a framework like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to keep your responses concise and focused.

Stakeholder Management – Managing utility projects requires coordinating with internal departments, external contractors, and regulatory agencies. You need to show that you can build consensus, manage expectations, and navigate complex organizational dynamics.

The hiring process for a Project Manager at SoCalGas is rigorous, highly structured, and designed to ensure both cultural alignment and technical capability. Because the utility operates under strict corporate and state guidelines, the interview stages are standardized to ensure fairness and consistency for all applicants.

The journey begins with an initial resume screening, followed quickly by an invitation to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically includes a personality profile and situational judgment tests to evaluate how you handle workplace scenarios and align with company values. Once you pass the assessment stage, you will move to a structured screening call with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss your career background and confirm alignment with the role's core responsibilities.

Following the initial screens, candidates proceed to the panel interview phase. This is the core of the evaluation process and is typically conducted by a panel of three to four team leads, directors, or senior managers from different departments. The panel interview is highly behavioral and may also require you to deliver a short presentation detailing your professional background, education, and key project management achievements. For senior-level positions, a final interview with the hiring manager and a Vice President is conducted to confirm executive alignment before an offer is extended.

The timeline above outlines the typical progression from your initial application to the final job offer. It is important to note that because of the thorough nature of utility hiring, background checks, and drug screenings, the entire process can span anywhere from one to three months. Candidates should use this timeline to pace their preparation, ensuring they are fully ready for the intensive panel and presentation stages.

To excel in the SoCalGas interview process, you must understand exactly how the panel evaluates your responses. Interviewers use standardized rubrics where each question is designed to test a specific competency. In many cases, the panel will actually preface their questions with a formal definition of the competency they are testing, establishing a highly structured environment.

Behavioral and Situational Alignment

This area is the cornerstone of the SoCalGas interview philosophy. The panel wants to see how you behave in real-world scenarios, how you handle pressure, and whether your professional values align with the utility's culture.

Be ready to go over:

• The STAR Method – Structuring your answers with a clear Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
• Competency Definitions – Listening closely to the definitions provided by the interviewers and directly addressing those terms in your response.
• Conflict Resolution – Providing concrete examples of how you navigated interpersonal or professional disagreements on a project.

Example scenarios:

• Managing a sudden, drastic reduction in project budget while maintaining the original project scope and safety standards.
• Handling a critical team member who is consistently missing deliverables and impacting the project timeline.

Project Execution & Utility Operations

As a Project Manager, you must prove that you possess the technical capability to manage large-scale capital projects from initiation through closeout.

Be ready to go over:

• Risk Management – How you identify, quantify, and mitigate risks in a physical infrastructure environment.
• Vendor & Contractor Management – Strategies for managing third-party contractors, ensuring they adhere to schedule, budget, and safety protocols.
• Change Management – How you document, evaluate, and implement change orders without derailing project momentum.
• Advanced concepts – Understanding earned value management (EVM), critical path methodology (CPM), and stage-gate project delivery models.

Example scenarios:

• Discovering a major geological or environmental obstacle midway through a pipeline modernization project and adjusting the execution plan.
• Aligning multiple internal departments (e.g., engineering, legal, public relations) to secure a local municipal permit.

Regulatory & Safety Compliance

Operating in California means adhering to some of the strictest utility regulations in the world. You must demonstrate that compliance is integrated into your daily project management approach.

Be ready to go over:

• CPUC Guidelines – Familiarity with how the California Public Utilities Commission impacts project planning and execution.
• Safety Culture – Demonstrating how you foster a "speak up" safety culture within your project teams.
• Environmental Stewardship – Managing projects in compliance with CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) and other environmental regulations.

Example scenarios:

• Navigating a situation where a contractor is cutting safety corners to meet a tight deadline.
• Addressing a regulatory audit finding on one of your active projects.

As a Project Manager at SoCalGas, your day-to-day work centers on driving complex utility projects from conception to successful completion. You are responsible for leading cross-functional project teams, establishing detailed project charters, and managing multi-million dollar capital budgets.

Your core focus will be on ensuring that all project phases—including planning, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction, and closeout—are executed safely and in full compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. You will spend a significant portion of your time monitoring project progress, identifying risks, and implementing proactive mitigation strategies.

Collaboration is central to this role. You will act as the primary point of contact for internal stakeholders, engineering teams, field operations, and external contractors. Additionally, you will regularly prepare and present project status updates, variance reports, and risk assessments to senior leadership, ensuring transparency and alignment across the organization.