Parvathy Maneesh: Building a Career in Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering

Parvathy Maneesh, an estimating engineer with Treviacos in Boston, Massachusetts, has built an accomplished career spanning nearly two decades in geotechnical and foundation engineering. Her journey reflects technical excellence, international experience, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning.

Maneesh began her career in civil engineering after earning her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from 2001 to 2005. During her undergraduate studies, she was recognized as the Best Outgoing Student in her third semester, an early indication of her academic dedication and leadership potential.

She went on to pursue a master’s degree in Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering at NIT Surathkal, where she graduated as a gold medalist and Best Outgoing Student. Following her postgraduate studies, she joined the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) as a research associate. She was subsequently selected for a PhD program but decided to enter the professional world instead, choosing to gain practical industry experience.

A Career Built on Diverse Project Experience

Maneesh began her professional career with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) in India, where she spent three years working on a diverse range of major infrastructure projects, including metro systems, dams, airports, and commercial and residential buildings. This experience provided her with a strong foundation in construction and exposed her to the complexities of large-scale projects.

She later moved to Kuwait, joining Trevi Foundations, where she expanded her international experience. Her work included projects associated with the oil industry, the Jabaral Causeway, roads, infrastructure developments, and commercial buildings. Working across different countries and project environments strengthened both her technical capabilities and her ability to adapt to new challenges.

As part of her academic and professional development, Maneesh also completed thesis-related work in Japan through an MOU program, adding another international dimension to her engineering journey.

Returning to the Profession

After taking career breaks to prioritize family responsibilities, Maneesh returned to the workforce and joined Treviacos in Bostonas an estimating engineer. In this role, she is responsible for estimating geotechnical quantities for a variety of projects and developing pricing for proposals.

Her current position allows her to draw on nearly 20 years of experience in construction and geotechnical engineering, while also applying the knowledge she has gained from working across different types of projects, organizations, and countries.

Learning Through Feedback and Collaboration

Maneesh believes that continuous learning has been one of the key factors behind her professional growth. Throughout her career, she has made a conscious effort to seek feedback from managers and colleagues and to learn through conversations and professional interactions.

Rather than viewing feedback as criticism, she sees it as an opportunity to improve. Her approach emphasizes the importance of staying curious, asking questions, sharing knowledge, and learning from the experiences of others.

Inspiring More Women to Choose Civil Engineering

Working in a traditionally male-dominated field has presented its share of challenges. Maneesh recalls experiencing difficulties such as limited facilities for women at construction sites. At different stages of her career, family priorities also required her to take breaks from professional work.

Despite these challenges, she has continued to pursue her passion for engineering and has successfully re-established her career. She believes that the industry has changed significantly since she began her career and that opportunities and working conditions for women in civil engineering have improved considerably.

For young women considering a career in civil engineering, Maneesh offers an encouraging message: the field is evolving, opportunities are growing, and women can build successful and rewarding careers in engineering and construction.

A Journey of Persistence and Continuous Growth

From academic achievements in India to research at IIT Madras, major infrastructure projects with L&T, international experience in Kuwait and Japan, and her current role in Boston, Parvathy Maneesh’s career demonstrates the value of persistence, adaptability, and lifelong learning.

Her story is not only one of professional achievement but also of navigating career transitions and personal responsibilities while continuing to move forward. For aspiring engineers—especially women entering the construction and geotechnical fields—her journey offers an example of how knowledge, openness to feedback, and determination can create lasting professional success.