Interview Tips for a Utility Maintenance Supervisor

Utility Maintenance Supervisor interviews emphasize leadership, compliance, and operational planning.

• Leadership Skills: Highlight supervising field and maintenance crews.
• Scheduling Expertise: Mention planning preventive and corrective work.
• Safety Oversight: Emphasize OSHA, NERC, or utility compliance.
• Problem-Solving: Share leadership in resolving outages.
• Documentation: Stress accurate logs and reporting.
• Budget Awareness: Show cost control experience.
• Conflict Resolution: Highlight resolving crew or customer disputes.
• Team Development: Emphasize coaching and training staff.

Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions:
Employers will test how you manage teams and prioritize utility reliability.

Q1. A major outage occurs during your shift. What’s your first step?
Sample Answer: Secure safety, dispatch crews, and coordinate restoration efforts.

Q2. How do you respond to conflict among team members?
Sample Answer: Mediate calmly, review facts, and ensure work continues professionally.

Q3. A manager pressures you to cut preventive maintenance. What do you do?
Sample Answer: I explain risks, show cost comparisons, and advocate for reliability.

Q4. How do you track performance of your crew?
Sample Answer: I use work order completion rates, safety records, and customer feedback.

Source: ChatGPT