Women make fantastic engineers because they are problem solvers

In an exclusive interview for International Women in Engineering Day, Neha Jhunjhunwala shares her insights on overcoming challenges and empowering women in the engineering industry.

On the occasion of International Women in Engineering Day, we spoke to Neha Jhunjhunwala, the Head of Digital Products and Strategic Initiatives at TimesPro. With her extensive experience and expertise, Neha delves into her personal journey as a successful woman in engineering and highlights the unique challenges she has faced. She also offers valuable advice for aspiring women engineers and discusses her role in aligning digital products with strategic goals. Join us as we explore Neha's inspiring perspectives on women in engineering and the role of digital innovation in shaping the industry.

As a successful woman in engineering, can you share your journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in this field?

An Engineer by qualification, I have also done my MBA in Finance. However, engineering always remains very close to my heart. My keen interest in mathematics made me take up engineering but what made me stick to it was the thrill of creating something new and making a difference to business outcomes.

What are some of the unique challenges you have faced as a woman in the engineering industry, and how have you overcome them?

While this industry is dominated by men, the trick is not to try to fit in but to focus on the outcomes. As a leader in this space, we witness several biases and preconceived notions. But rather than challenging the system, one’s work should speak for itself. Engineers work well with logic and data and that's what I try to stick to.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in engineering?

While things were different 10-15 years ago, the corporate world has become a lot more receptive to inducting women engineers. I also believe that women make fantastic engineers because they are problem solvers and believe in executing tasks within the given constraints. I would suggest aspiring women engineers should focus on their goals, stay confident and believe in themselves.

Can you share any personal or professional achievements in your engineering career that you are particularly proud of?

I started with my career as an Engineer, then moved to Finance and took up Project Management and Strategic roles, and then transitioned back to the Tech domain. For me, scaling up in the organisational hierarchy feels like an achievement. While Tech has changed rapidly over the last decade, it feels good to be able to transition across various roles successfully.

How do you ensure that the digital products and other initiatives align with the overall strategic goals of TimesPro?

The Digital Products team is the core of TimesPro’s future vision and ‘Digital-First’ strategy. We work on bridging gaps the for learners and executing our future-centric vision of providing excellence in education by making it accessible and affordable. We have a cross-functional approach resulting in seamless interoperability to execute our diverse tech driven and state-of-the-art projects.

What strategies have you employed to ensure the seamless integration and adoption of digital products and initiatives by users?

Our strategies are user/learner centric and our products/services are designed and developed addressing the needs of our users. It helps us to get the buy-in from our users as well as the other stakeholders. Internally, our goals are linked to user adoption rather than creating fancy new products.

How do you measure the success and effectiveness of the digital products and initiatives that you have implemented?

Our focus has always been on the learner outcomes. Each employee has a definite goal/metric in mind before they start designing the product. We work towards seamless integration of products with sharp focus on user satisfaction.

How do you ensure data privacy and security when developing and implementing digital products at TimesPro?

We have clear guidelines and robust policies for all handling data and related products. Our IT team has set up multiple measures to ensure our learners privacy is protected and we are able to give them a safe, secure and a seamless experience.