Behind every reliable renewable energy project is a team of engineers solving complex challenges — from the ground beneath a solar site to the software tools that help bring designs to life. This International Women in Engineering Day (June 23), Nextpower is recognizing the people behind that work: engineers whose technical expertise, creativity, and leadership are helping move the industry forward.
At Nextpower, women engineers are contributing across disciplines, global regions, and stages of the project lifecycle, from geotechnical and mechanical engineering to project engineering, product development, software, testing, and design automation. Their work reflects the range of expertise required to deliver reliable, scalable solar energy solutions around the world.
In this post, we’re highlighting several of these engineers and their work: what drew them to engineering, the challenges they’re proud to have solved, and the advice they would offer to the next generation of women entering the field.
Veronica Mini Anthony Senior Software Developer
Role at Nextpower
Veronica is a full-stack software developer, and her work helps the engineering team generate optimized tracker designs more efficiently and accurately.
What drew her to engineering
“My interest in engineering started early. I was always curious about how things work, especially in computer programming, and began learning C++ in 7th grade. I often spent extra time in the computer lab exploring beyond the curriculum, which gradually shaped my goal of building and understanding systems, not just using them.”
Technical challenge
“At Nextpower, I have worked on multiple complex and challenging problems in the last couple of years. The one achievement I’m particularly proud of was optimizing a critical computation engine that powers large-scale design workflows, making the system significantly faster and more efficient. At the application level, where hundreds to thousands of jobs run daily, this enhancement helped reduce computing costs, increase throughput without requiring additional infrastructure, and lowered the overall system load. Most importantly, it created a smoother and more reliable experience for the end-users of the application, enabling them to complete workflows faster and deliver results more efficiently.”
Advice to future women engineers
“You do not need to have everything figured out at the beginning. What matters most is your willingness to learn, adapt, stay consistent, and keep moving forward. Engineering rewards persistence, curiosity, and problem-solving more than perfection.”
Bhanu Rekha Bandhakavi Director, Product Development – Mechanical Engineering
Role at Nextpower
Bhanu leads the mechanical engineering organization for the MEIAT region, with responsibility for building engineering capability, developing talent, and delivering product solutions that support regional and global business needs.
What drew her to engineering
"Engineering attracted me because it sits at the intersection of creativity and problem-solving. I loved the idea that you could take a challenge, break it down, and build something meaningful that creates real impact.”
Technical challenge
“One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is establishing a world-class Mechanical Test Lab and R&D validation capability in India. Building a facility of this scale required much more than installing equipment—it involved developing testing infrastructure, defining processes, integrating multiple testing disciplines, and bringing together the right engineering expertise, all within an ambitious timeline.
“What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is that we were able to take the lab from concept to operational readiness in less than a year, including mechanical, reliability, environmental, and foundation testing capabilities. This significantly expands Nextpower’s global testing footprint, enables faster product validation cycles, and allows engineering work that was previously dependent on other regions to be executed locally.”
Advice to future women engineers
“Don’t feel you need to have everything figured out before taking on a new challenge. Confidence often develops through experience, and growth comes from being willing to learn, contribute, and embrace new opportunities along the way.”
Jehnifer Filgueiras Assistant Manager, Geotechnical Engineering, LATAM
Role at Nextpower
Jehnifer leads geotechnical engineering activities for Latin America, supporting foundation design, field testing campaigns, technical risk assessment, and value engineering for solar tracker projects across different countries and soil conditions. Her work connects soil behavior, structural performance, construction constraints, client expectations, and long-term reliability.
What drew her to engineering
“I was drawn to engineering because it combines logic, creativity, environment, and service. It allows us to transform complex problems into practical solutions that have a real impact on infrastructure, communities, and the environment.”
Technical challenge
“One challenge I am proud of solving involved evaluating pile foundations for solar trackers when field conditions did not fully match the expected design assumptions. Some piles presented installation issues such as refusal, deformation, or variations from ideal tolerances. Instead of looking at the situation only as a nonconformity, the challenge was to understand the real structural and geotechnical implications, assess risks, and determine whether the installed solution could still perform safely — or whether an alternative foundation was required. I am proud of this type of work because it requires technical depth, engineering judgment, and close coordination with construction teams. It shows that good engineering is not only about designing for ideal conditions, but also making responsible decisions when reality is more complex.”
Advice to future women engineers
“My advice is: do not wait to feel completely ready before taking your place. Engineering needs your intelligence, your curiosity, your discipline, and your voice. There will be challenges, and sometimes you may be the only woman in the room, but that does not mean you do not belong there.”
Jinu Mary Jacob Manager, Geotechnical Engineering
Role at Nextpower
Jinu leads the geotechnical engineering team in India and China, supporting foundation design across different regions. Her work focuses on optimized foundation designs that meet customer requirements while addressing technical queries, site challenges, and engineering analysis. She also works to improve design approaches through field testing, calculations, and research.
What drew her to engineering
"I was always fascinated by engineering marvels around the world and wanted to contribute something meaningful to society through my work. That curiosity inspired me to pursue engineering, and the journey has never disappointed me.”
Technical challenge
“I always look for opportunities to automate engineering workflows so the team can focus more on innovation and technical development. One major challenge we faced was the significant effort and time involved in reviewing geotechnical investigation reports. I am particularly proud of introducing AI-based solutions to support and streamline the review process, helping improve efficiency, consistency, and turnaround time for report evaluations.”
Advice to future women engineers
“Seek mentors, build strong professional relationships, embrace opportunities, and continue improving your knowledge and skills. There may be challenges, constraints, or career breaks along the way, but it is important to keep moving forward with confidence and not doubt your capabilities based on what others may think. Connect with people who support and encourage you, especially other women in engineering.”
Maddy Kho Manager, Mechanical Engineering
Role at Nextpower
Maddy manages the mechanical engineering team working on advanced steel module frames, recently branded as NX CoreFrame™. Her team focuses on developing steel frame offerings from concept to mature designs ready for field deployment.
What drew her to engineering
“I was really drawn to the kinds of problem solving we encountered, and I loved the challenge, creativity, and diligence required. I decided to stick with it and study mechanical engineering in college.”
Technical challenge
“I am really proud of the work that my team has put in to understand the needs and preferences of module manufacturers. The module manufacturing world is very different than the tracker world, and it’s been a really satisfying challenge to learn how to adapt our product and working style to match the needs of our customers.”
Advice to future women engineers
“Get curious! What will really carry you into a fulfilling career is your ability to continue to learn as you go. I used to be nervous to ask a question in a meeting or express my opinion for fear of being wrong. I have since learned that if I have a question in a meeting, someone else probably has the same question. I have also learned expressing my opinion to my team and asking for feedback on it is the fastest way to learn.”
Rajitha Pampari Manager, Project Engineering
Role at Nextpower
Rajitha leads a team of 13 engineers supporting projects across the MEIAT region. Her role spans the project lifecycle, from the early sales stage through engineering, project execution, and commissioning. She works closely on layout design and bill of materials decisions, including site-specific corrosion considerations.
What drew her to engineering
“I was drawn to engineering because I’ve always been curious about how things work and how ideas turn into something real. Over time, what’s kept me here is that every project brings a new challenge and no two sites or requirements are the same.”
Technical challenge
“One challenge I’m particularly proud of is working on projects in high-corrosion environments, where standard designs don’t always work. In these cases, I’ve been involved in refining layouts and selecting the right materials using corrosion analysis tools to make sure the system performs well over time. It’s not just about the technical solution. We also have to balance cost, timelines, and customer expectations. Being able to come up with a design that addresses all these factors and improves long-term reliability has been really rewarding.”
Advice to future women engineers
“I would say don’t hesitate to step into engineering if you’re interested in it. It’s a field where you learn continuously, and every challenge helps you grow. There will be times when things feel uncertain, but that’s part of the journey. Stay curious, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to take on responsibilities.”
Claire Wang Project Engineer
Role at Nextpower
Claire is a Project Engineer based in India where she works on layout design, BOMs, and construction sets across multiple projects. Her role helps turn product designs into real engineering solutions for renewable energy projects.
What drew her to engineering
“I grew up in an engineering family. Both my parents are civil engineers, so I was around drawings and models from an early age. I went on to study civil engineering for seven years. What drew me in was solving practical problems and watching things get built. And the tangible impact that we can make has kept me here.”
Technical challenge
“In our work, we usually face projects with different requirements and constraints. I worked on a UK project, and the site was extremely tight because of tree shadows and ponds that split the land into small parcels, making tracker layout difficult. On top of that, due to local regulations, we couldn't apply any ground leveling on this site. I tried many arrangements and eventually replaced long trackers with shorter ones to accommodate higher slopes. After a lot of work from our sales team and engineering team, we made the project work. Seeing a technically challenging, constrained site turn into a feasible project is a proud achievement for me.”
Advice to future women engineers
"We don't have to wait until we feel 100% perfect. There's still this image of what an engineer should be — someone smarter, more technically focused, someone who can solve issues more independently. We don't need to fit that mold to get started. We can learn on the job and grow through experience.”
Interested in joining the team at Nextpower? Visit our careers page.