Expect a mix of behavioral and situational questions. The interviewers want to see how you think, how you lead, and how you deliver.

Behavioral and Leadership (STAR Method)

These questions test your past behavior as a predictor of future performance. Always structure these using the STAR framework.

• Tell me about your greatest achievement as an Engineering Manager.
• Describe a time you had to deliver bad news to senior management.
• Give an example of a time you had to manage a project with competing priorities and limited resources.
• Tell me about a time you failed. What did you learn, and how did you apply that to your next project?
• Describe a situation where you had to influence a stakeholder who disagreed with your technical direction.

Technical and Project Management

These questions focus on your ability to handle the "Engineering" part of your title.

• How do you handle technical debt in a fast-paced environment?
• Describe your process for conducting a post-mortem after a project failure.
• How do you evaluate whether to build a solution in-house or purchase a third-party tool?
• Walk me through your approach to resource planning for a multi-year project.
• How do you stay current with emerging technologies in the energy sector?

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from the initial screening to the final decision. Candidates should use this to pace their preparation, focusing on high-level achievements during early screens and shifting toward detailed project post-mortems and strategic planning during the later rounds. Note that while the stages are consistent, the involvement of specific global business units may add slight variations to the timeline.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

People Leadership and Team Development

This area focuses on your ability to build, retain, and grow high-performing engineering teams. TotalEnergies operates on a global scale, meaning you must be adept at managing diverse teams, often across different time zones and cultural backgrounds. Interviewers want to see that you are a "multiplier" who elevates the performance of those around you.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – How you handle disagreements within your team or between engineering and other departments.
• Mentorship and Growth – Your specific strategies for developing the career paths of your direct reports.
• Performance Management – How you navigate underperformance and set clear, measurable goals for your team.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to lead a team through a significant period of change or ambiguity."
• "Describe a situation where you had to manage a high-performing individual who was causing friction within the team."

Technical Strategy and Execution

While you may not be coding or designing daily, you must maintain a high level of technical authority. This evaluation area tests your ability to make sound technical decisions that align with business goals. You will be asked to justify your choices regarding technology stacks, vendor selections, and architecture.

Be ready to go over:

• Project Lifecycle Management – Your approach to scoping, planning, and executing multi-year engineering initiatives.
• Risk Mitigation – Identifying technical bottlenecks before they become critical failures.
• Operational Excellence – Implementing processes that improve efficiency and reduce downtime.
• Advanced concepts – Transitioning legacy systems to cloud-based infrastructures, integrating IoT in energy monitoring, and implementing AI-driven predictive maintenance.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk us through a complex technical project you led from inception to completion, focusing on the trade-offs you made."
• "How do you ensure that your team maintains high standards of technical documentation and code quality?"

Operational Safety and HSE Excellence

In the energy sector, an Engineering Manager is a guardian of safety. You must demonstrate that you treat Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) as a foundational element of engineering, not an afterthought. This is often a deciding factor in the hiring process at TotalEnergies.

Be ready to go over:

• Incident Response – How you have handled technical failures or safety incidents in the past.
• Regulatory Compliance – Your experience working within international and local safety frameworks.
• Safety Culture – How you instill a "safety-first" mindset in your engineering teams.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Give an example of a time you halted a project because of a safety concern. How did you manage the stakeholder reaction?"
• "How do you balance the need for rapid delivery with the rigorous requirements of safety testing?"