Other roles at Terna:Software Engineer Supply Chain Strategy Consultant

How to Pass the Terna Supply Chain Interview in 2026

Enterprise · Supply Chain Interview Guide

Interview language: English

The Terna DNA (TL;DR)

Terna's 'Driving Energy' strategic plan emphasizes candidates' capacity to innovate within grid modernization and sustainability, aligning with values like 'Integrity' and 'Meritocracy.' The interview loop seeks individuals who can articulate their contribution to complex infrastructure projects, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to energy transition challenges.

The Terna Interview Loop

Your onsite loop will typically consist of 5 rounds.

1
Round 1
Recruiter Screen
Motivation, operations background, supply chain interest.
2
Round 2
Operations Case
End-to-end supply chain optimization, bottleneck diagnosis, network design.
3
Round 3
Forecasting & Planning
Demand planning, S&OP, inventory optimization, working with statistical and ML forecasts.
4
Round 4
Optimization
Linear programming intuition, route optimization, facility location, trade-offs between cost/service/CO2.
5
Round 5
Behavioral / Leadership
Past evidence of ownership, influence, resolving conflict.

The Danger Zone: Top Reasons Candidates Fail

Based on our database of Terna interview outcomes, avoid these common traps:

Using simplistic methods like centroid calculation without considering real-world constraints.
Not explaining how they adapted their communication or approach.
Focusing only on the demand side and neglecting supply constraints.
Jumping to solutions without thorough root cause analysis.

Test Yourself: Real Terna Questions

Three real prompts pulled from our database.

Type · Conflict Resolution

Terna must balance the need for rapid renewable energy integration with strict sustainability and environmental compliance standards. Describe a time when you had to navigate a situation where the procurement speed requirements for a critical grid component conflicted directly with our sustainability or ESG supplier criteria.

Type · Network Design

Terna is considering centralizing its spare parts inventory for grid maintenance across Italy. What factors would you analyze to determine the optimal number and location of these new distribution hubs?

Type · Motivation

What specifically about Terna's role in the energy transition and its supply chain challenges interests you?

+ many more questions, signals, and worked examples

Unlock the Terna rubric, free

Terna Interview Question Bank

A sample from our database, grouped by round. Sign up to see the full set.

9 of 15 questions shown

Recruiter Screen

1
Type · Motivation
What specifically about Terna's role in the energy transition and its supply chain challenges interests you?

Operations Case

2
Type · Case Study
Terna is expanding its renewable energy infrastructure (solar, wind farms). Describe the key supply chain considerations for sourcing, transporting, and installing large-scale components like wind turbines and solar panels across diverse geographical locations in Italy.
3
Type · Problem Diagnosis
Imagine a significant delay in the delivery of critical components for a new substation project. How would you diagnose the root cause of the delay within the supply chain, and what immediate actions would you take?
+ 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)

Forecasting & Planning

4
Type · Demand Planning
How would you approach forecasting demand for specialized components used in grid modernization projects, where historical data might be scarce or irregular?
5
Type · S&OP
Describe your experience with Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) or Integrated Business Planning (IBP). How would you ensure alignment between Terna's long-term strategic goals and the operational execution of its supply chain?
+ 2 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)

Optimization

6
Type · LP Intuition
Imagine you need to decide how much of each type of cable (copper, fiber optic) to procure from different suppliers to meet Terna's project demands, given varying prices and capacities. How would you think about framing this as an optimization problem?
7
Type · Route Optimization
Terna's field teams need to perform routine maintenance across numerous substations. How could supply chain principles and optimization techniques be applied to minimize travel time and costs for these mobile workforces?
+ 2 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)

Behavioral / Leadership

8
Type · Ownership
At Terna, we manage critical infrastructure that requires long-term planning. Describe a time when you identified a systemic supply chain risk to a multi-year grid project that was not yet on the project team's radar, and how you ensured it was addressed before it impacted the construction timeline.
9
Type · Influence
Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, internal teams, management) who had different priorities or perspectives regarding a supply chain decision.
+ 1 more questions in this round (sign up to unlock)

Unlock all 15 Terna questions, free

No credit card. Every question with its framework, the grading signals interviewers score against, and a worked answer for each.

Unlock all 15 Terna questions

Interview tracks at Terna

How Terna's DNA translates across functions. Pick your role.

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Practice Terna interviews end-to-end

Terna Mock Interview

Run a live mock interview with our AI interviewer using Terna-style prompts. Get scored on structure, signal, and answer length - exactly how the real loop grades you.

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STAR Stories for Terna Behavioral Rounds

Build a Story Bank of your past wins, mapped to the leadership signals Terna interviewers grade on. Reuse them across every behavioral round.

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Terna Interview Prep Hub

The frameworks behind every Terna round: CIRCLES for product sense, hypothesis-driven debugging for analytical, STAR for behavioral. Learn each one in 10 minutes.

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Interview Frameworks

CIRCLES, STAR, AARRR, RICE, MECE. The exact frameworks that make Terna interviewers nod instead of frown. Step-by-step playbooks with the moves and the pitfalls.

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Sample answers

What a strong answer to these Terna interview questions shows.

A strong answer shows: Understanding of ESG in procurement; Balancing competing priorities; Analytical decision making.

A strong answer shows: Considers factors like demand patterns, lead times, transportation costs, inventory costs, facility costs, and service level requirements.; Discusses trade-offs between centralization and decentralization.; Mentions analytical tools or methodologies (e.g., network optimization software, simulation)..

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Terna interview process take?

Most candidates spend between 4 and 8 weeks from recruiter screen to offer. The onsite loop itself runs in a single day or is split across two half-days, with debrief and offer typically within 5 business days after.

How should I prepare specifically for Terna?

Focus on three things: (1) the company DNA shown above - what they actually grade for, (2) the rounds in your loop, especially the round most candidates underestimate, and (3) drilling on the question types in this guide using a structured framework like CIRCLES or STAR.

Does this apply to engineering or design roles at Terna?

The DNA stays the same - what changes is the round mix. SWE candidates face coding screens instead of Product Sense; designers face portfolio reviews and design exercises. The "what they value" and behavioral signals carry across all functions.

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