Sandia National Laboratories Project Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was conducted by a 4-member panel using the STAR method, which is a well-known technique for eliciting behavioral responses. My opinion is that all answers should be structured using the STAR format (situation, task, action, result) to provide clear and concise answers without getting bogged down in details. The panel itself was professional. However, the process suffered from a significant lack of communication from HR or the hiring manager after the interview, making it feel as though the interview never happened. I experienced a lengthy period of zero communication, potentially weeks or even months. I even contacted HR and they could only confirm that my application was received. After 3.5 months, a generic email was sent stating the position was filled, at which point I had already accepted another job. It's a good thing I didn't count on Sandia Labs for employment. My advice is to assume you won't get the job, regardless of how well you think you interviewed, as you're likely up against internal candidates or referrals. I don't regret the experience, as it helped me appreciate my current job and employers who actually communicate with applicants.

The interview was very binary and unfriendly. It felt like the interviewer was reading directly from a script. The questions were strictly about Project Management processes like EVM and critical path. I was initially told that a follow-up interview would be scheduled within two weeks. After receiving no communication, I reached out at the two-week mark, but the interviewer couldn't provide any information. I followed up again a week later, still with no update. Three weeks after the initial interview, I was finally informed that I wouldn't be proceeding to a follow-up round. Since then, I've heard from others that working there is very process-driven, with little room for creativity.

I first met the Sandia hiring team at a career fair at my college, and I was contacted for an on-campus interview the next day. Three extremely nice ladies conducted my interview, and they took turns asking questions. I only remember them asking behavioral-type interview questions, and a lot of team-based behavioral questions in particular. The women who conducted my interview were very approachable and friendly, and made the interview feel more like a conversation. During the interview they told me it could be a few months before I hear from them because the hiring process is very slow, and to not get discouraged. After the interview, I applied to the position online via Sandia's website, wrote a very personalized cover letter, and sent a thank you email to my interviewers. After a month, I still had not heard from them so I sent a follow up email to one of the women who conducted my interview. She called me back and apologized, and said HR is still working on it. A month after that (so 2 months after my interview), HR sent me an email saying they wanted to set up an over the phone "meet & greet" with a hiring manager. I had the phone "meet & greet" a few weeks later, with another extremely friendly person. It was not an interview at all, but him telling me more about the position and answering any questions I had. I sent him a thank you email following our phone call. A month after the phone meet and greet, I still had not heard back so I emailed the hiring manager to check in. He then told me he wanted to talk on the phone again. He called me a few days later and extended a verbal job offer. A month after the verbal offer, I received an official offer that included the salary. So overall, it took 4 1/2 months from my first interview until I received an official offer. The interviewers and hiring managers have little control over this timeline as it is the HR process that takes a while. However, they can put a bit of pressure on HR to help speed it along. So my best advice to anyone who wants a position at Sandia is to keep following up with them. If I wouldn't have emailed them every month or so to check in, it seems pretty likely that HR would have forgot about me. Every time I emailed my interviewers or the hiring manager, the hiring process moved on to the next step.