Principal Engineer- Technical Services Utilities
Posted Sep 10, 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 utility or energy project you led that reduced total delivered cost. How did you measure the savings?
What they are checking: Whether they can prove results with data, since utility savings are easy to claim and hard to verify.
Tell me about a time you had to move forward on a project with a lot of ambiguity in the requirements.
What they are checking: Whether they can make progress and set sensible assumptions without waiting for perfect clarity.
What would you do
A plant is near the limit of its ammonia refrigeration capacity and wants to add a new line. How do you approach it?
What they are checking: Whether they consider safety, capacity and cost together before recommending expansion.
How do you balance sustainability goals against cost and reliability when they pull in different directions?
What they are checking: Whether they can make honest tradeoffs instead of treating every goal as equally important.
How would you build trust with plant maintenance teams who have run their utilities the same way for years?
What they are checking: Whether they respect site knowledge and can bring people along instead of imposing changes from corporate.
About the work
Walk me through how you'd assess the steam, refrigeration and compressed air systems at a food plant you've never seen.
What they are checking: Whether they have a structured way to find capacity limits and waste across complex infrastructure.
Compressed air is often called the most expensive utility in a plant. Where do you usually find the losses?
What they are checking: Whether they have hands-on knowledge of leaks, pressure settings and demand rather than textbook answers.
How do you decide whether an emerging utility technology is ready for a multi-year capital plan or still needs a pilot?
What they are checking: Whether they recommend only solutions proven in both concept and performance, as the role requires.
How do you work with Procurement on energy strategy, such as supply contracts versus efficiency projects?
What they are checking: Whether they understand that cost reduction comes from both buying energy well and using less of it.
What do you include in a technical brief so that a leadership team without an engineering background can make a decision?
What they are checking: Whether they can communicate complex infrastructure choices clearly to the people funding them.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Conagra Brands.