Distribution Engineer
Posted Sep 23, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time a client's design standard conflicted with what you thought was the better engineering choice. How did you handle it?
What they are checking: Whether they respect client standards while raising concerns through the right channel instead of quietly deviating.
Describe a design you produced that came back with errors. What did you change about how you check your work?
What they are checking: Whether they own mistakes and build a personal quality check, since the posting stresses exceptional quality on every project.
This role is three days a week in the Chicago office. How do you use in-office days differently from remote days?
What they are checking: Whether they see the value of in-person collaboration with designers and engineers rather than treating the office as a formality.
What would you do
Field data you received doesn't match what the GIS shows for an overhead line. What do you do before you design anything?
What they are checking: Whether they verify conflicting data before designing, since a wrong base condition ruins the whole package.
You have five work packages due this week and one client keeps adding scope to theirs. How do you manage your schedule and budget?
What they are checking: Whether they can protect schedule and budget by flagging scope changes rather than absorbing them silently.
About the work
Walk me through how you build a work package for an underground residential distribution job, from field data to final drawings.
What they are checking: Whether they understand the full URD design workflow and the order in which the pieces have to come together.
How do you apply NESC clearance rules when you're designing a make ready job with several attachers on one pole?
What they are checking: Whether they know the clearance requirements that drive make ready decisions and can resolve conflicts between attachers.
Tell me how you approach structural pole loading analysis. What inputs matter most, and what makes a pole fail the check?
What they are checking: Whether they understand pole modeling beyond pushing buttons in software and can explain why a pole needs replacement.
Which GIS or work management systems have you used, like Smallworld, ArcGIS, STORMS or Maximo, and how quickly do you pick up a new client's system?
What they are checking: Whether they can adapt to whatever tools each utility client uses, since the posting lists many different ones.
How would you calculate voltage drop on a long secondary run to a new service, and what would you do if it came out too high?
What they are checking: Whether they can do basic electrical power calculations and know the practical design fixes.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Leidos.