Developing Purposeful Projects at Volvo
Anuj Pawar portrait. Courtesy Photo.
Anuj Pawar, MS’25, engineering management, has been interested in working in the automotive industry for as long as he can remember. Ready to build upon his existing knowledge and take a leap towards his career aspirations, he pursued a master’s degree at Northeastern. Anuj’s MS in engineering management has provided leadership and technical skills to make him a successful project manager in the automotive industry.
In August 2025, Anuj Pawar completed his master’s degree in engineering management. With an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a fascination with auto maintenance, he chose to pursue a master’s degree in engineering management to advance his leadership and management skills.
During his master’s program, Anuj finished eight intensive courses and one incredible co-op opportunity. He has gained a vast amount of experience and technical knowledge because of Northeastern’s expansive curriculum and experiential learning opportunities. With this education and experience, Anuj is ready to apply those skills to a career in project management in the automobile industry.
Classroom Opportunities
Anuj was a graduate teaching assistant under Associate Teaching Professor Paul Pei for the course Supply Chain Engineering. Topics covered in the course include an overview of designing, analyzing, managing, and improving supply chains. While Anuj was a teaching assistant, he managed fifty students and supported them through their coursework. He said one of the challenges he overcame during this experience was learning how to give precise, accurate, and helpful feedback to the students to enable growth and a better understand of their work. He credits this acquired skill for making him a better communicator and a more effective teacher.
Anuj presenting a power BI dashboard he developed for Volvo’s manufacturing team. Courtesy Photo.
As a student, Anuj was able to explore creative solutions to interesting and relevant problems. In the course Digital Product Design and Management, Anuj worked on a project where he developed an app called “Unlonely Adventures.” The app’s purpose is to easily connect people for planning and coordinating outings.
In his Supply Chain Engineering course, he developed a Power BI dashboard that provides manufacturers with real-time data on their manufacturing processes, including downtime calculations, supplier quality metrics, and defect rates. To build it, Anuj integrated SharePoint files and implemented custom DAX queries.
Another compelling project involved using Python to identify optimal locations for additional Bluebikes docking stations around Boston. Anuj found this project particularly rewarding because it improved the efficiency and accessibility of a service people use daily.
Co-op at Volvo Group
Anuj completed his co-op as a product quality engineer at Volvo Group , where he worked closely with stakeholders and suppliers to identify vehicle defects and develop strategies to reduce them. He also created Power BI dashboards to help the team visualize the manufacturing process and built PowerApps to streamline supplier communication.
Anuj’s favorite project involved developing Power BI dashboards for material inspection. He enjoyed applying his advanced coding skills and Power Query knowledge to create a practical tool that helped his team clearly visualize and improve their manufacturing process.
Anuj analyzing manufacturing defects during his product quality engineering co-op at Volvo group
At Volvo, Anuj worked independently on many projects, which he found invaluable for his growth. The autonomy allowed him to develop his skill set and problem-solving abilities, while his supportive team remained available when he needed guidance. Beyond technical skills, Anuj says the experience taught him important lessons about himself—particularly the value of perseverance and attention to detail. He’s grateful for his time at Volvo and eager to continue developing purposeful projects in the automotive industry.