This month’s Employee Spotlight is…
Sunayana Jain
Head of Technical Services
1. Where did you grow up? Where do you reside now?
I grew up in Jaipur, a historic city in western India. I earned my Bachelor of Architecture from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and later completed a master’s degree in construction management at Texas A&M University. I currently live near Philadelphia and have previously lived across the U.S., including Texas, California, Michigan, and Albany, New York.
2. What did you want to be when you grew up (when you were a child)?
Growing up, I was always interested in creating and building things. I loved constructing small projects, like building a playground (mostly the boundary wall, the rest was all imagination 😊).
3. What guided you into the energy efficiency industry?
During my college years, I worked on designing passive building features, which sparked my interest in high-performance buildings. During my master’s program, I chose coursework focused on sustainability and obtained my LEED certification while still at the university. I worked on energy-auditing projects during my internship in California. Early in my career, I earned my CEM certification and completed energy modeling training at the Energy Center of Wisconsin. Each of these small but meaningful steps guided me toward the energy efficiency industry.
4. What does a day in your life at PSD look like?
Currently, in my role as Head of Technical Services, I work closely with my team to ensure workloads are balanced and team members are well supported. Our team collaborates with the software team to support project delivery. I also focus on keeping the team engaged and ensuring best practices are followed to meet KPI targets and financial performance goals.
5. Our company has five core values (Integrity, Passion, Collaboration, Vision, and Making an Impact). Which of these values resonates most with you and the work you do at PSD?
All five core values are important, but integrity and collaboration resonate most with me. Integrity helps build trust within the team, while collaboration is critical to achieving success. Given the nature of our work, strong collaboration is essential to finding the best possible engineering solutions.
6. What do you do when you aren’t at work? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my six-year-old, exploring new places and enjoying everyday moments together. I really value experiencing the world through a child’s curiosity. I also enjoy listening to health and wellness podcasts and experimenting with healthy vegetarian diets.
7. What is your favorite holiday?
My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate how this time of year is celebrated in different ways across the world. Interestingly, it sometimes coincides with Diwali, the festival of lights, which adds a deeper, cross-cultural sense of gratitude and celebration.
8. Favorite travel destination? Or dream travel destination? 
My husband and I love to travel and have explored around 40 countries. Every place has something unique to teach, and some of my favorites so far are Lapland in Finland, El Calafate in the Patagonia region, Cape Town in South Africa, Cappadocia in Turkey, and Ubud in Bali.
9. What’s the top item on your bucket list? Have you checked anything cool or fun off?
I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and believe that keeping a positive outlook helps life unfold in wonderful ways. I also love exploring unique Airbnb experiences, from living in a cave, igloo, glass house, or hobbit house to staying in a treehouse, each a joyful adventure.
10. What is an interesting thing about yourself that people may not know?
Not many people know that I competed at the national level in karate. I’ve also bungee jumped from 440 feet in New Zealand and swam in the frozen Arctic Sea (with a survival suit!).
