On winter mornings in Montréal, when the sidewalks are quiet and the air is sharp, Elnaz Jafarian prefers movement. Sometimes it is a long walk. Sometimes a hike where the trails are empty and still. In another season of her life, it was swimming, lap after lap, competition after competition, building endurance one stroke at a time.
That instinct has never really left her. Whether navigating a new country, learning a third language, or guiding construction teams through unfamiliar digital workflows, Elnaz approaches change the same way. With patience. With focus. And with the understanding that progress rarely happens all at once.
Today, Elnaz is a Technical Consultant at SolidCAD, specializing in Autodesk Construction Cloud and construction management workflows. Her work helps clients move from fragmented, manual processes to connected, scalable systems that can actually support growth. It is not fast work. It is deliberate work. Much like the endurance sports she gravitates toward, success is measured over time.
This profile is part of SolidCAD’s TechProfiles series, where we explore the people behind the platforms. Not product experts in isolation, but professionals who understand that technology only works when people are ready to move with it.
Elnaz’s professional foundation was built long before her career in construction technology began. Originally from Iran, she completed a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering before deciding to focus on construction management. The choice to leave was not simple, but it was intentional.
“I was always interested in construction management,” she explains. “And I knew that if I wanted to grow, I needed to study and work in a system where large projects, collaboration, and technology were part of everyday practice.”
Canada became that system. Montréal became home. She completed her master’s degree at Concordia University and began looking for work in project management, expecting a traditional career path. Instead, SolidCAD introduced her to something she did not know existed.
“They reached out about a Technical Consultant role,” she says. “At first I was not familiar with it. But when I realized it was about helping clients transition their workflows using construction management software, it made sense. It connected my education with real-world execution.”
Much like swimming competitively, the transition required learning new techniques while trusting her existing strengths.
At SolidCAD, Elnaz works primarily with Autodesk Construction Cloud, supporting clients across preconstruction and construction phases. She often describes ACC not as a single tool, but as an ecosystem.
“It is similar to Microsoft 365,” she explains. “You choose what you need. Build, cost management, preconstruction tools. The value comes from how they connect.”
Her core focus is Autodesk Build, along with financial and preconstruction workflows such as quantity takeoff and estimating. She supports clients ranging from small residential builders to large infrastructure projects like water treatment plants that involve owners, consultants, and multiple contractors.
Clients usually arrive at different points in their journey. Some are already using platforms like Procore and are exploring alternatives due to pricing or limitations. Others are managing projects through spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls.
“That approach works until it doesn’t,” she says. “Once projects grow, it becomes very hard to track information, decisions, and accountability.”
Her role is to help teams find a sustainable rhythm that matches the scale and complexity of their work.
If technology were the hardest part of digital transformation, Elnaz’s job would be much easier. Instead, the real challenge is adoption.
“Many clients expect that once training is finished, everything should work perfectly,” she says. “But training is only the beginning.”
She often sees teams attend sessions passively, watching instead of actively working inside the platform. When real project pressure arrives, uncertainty follows. Navigation feels slow. Confidence drops.
“It is not about buying software,” she explains. “People have to change how they work. That requires time and internal commitment.”
Elnaz approaches adoption like a long hike rather than a sprint. Progress is steady, sometimes uncomfortable, but always forward. She stays involved beyond training sessions, supporting teams as they build confidence through real project use.
For Elnaz, success is not defined by how smoothly a kickoff meeting goes. It shows up later.
She looks at the questions clients ask during support. The specificity of those questions matters. So does silence.
“If clients never ask questions, that is not always a good sign,” she says. “It often means they are not fully engaged yet.”
The strongest signal of success comes months down the line, when she logs into a client account and sees multiple active projects running confidently in the platform. When clients return asking to adopt additional tools, that momentum becomes visible.
“That tells me the system is working for them,” she says.
What Elnaz enjoys most about her role is problem solving. Not in the abstract, but in the moment when a client realizes a process finally makes sense.
“When someone tells me, ‘This really helped,’ that is the most rewarding part,” she says. “It means something changed for them.”
Her consulting style reflects that mindset. Calm. Structured. Patient. She understands that construction teams operate under pressure and that technology must adapt to reality, not the other way around.
Outside of work, Elnaz continues to seek balance through movement. She was once a competitive swimmer and still values the discipline it taught her. In Montréal, she hikes year-round, preferring winter trails for their quiet and clarity. She has also begun learning to ski, embracing the challenge even when progress feels slow.
Learning French followed a similar pattern. Difficult at first, then rewarding. Another system to navigate. Another rhythm to find.
That willingness to stay with discomfort, to keep moving even when progress is incremental, mirrors how she works with clients every day.
Elnaz brings together construction knowledge, technical expertise, and a grounded consulting presence. She does not promise instant transformation. She builds confidence gradually, helping teams understand not just what the tools do, but how they fit into their work.
Like swimming long distances or hiking unfamiliar terrain, digital transformation requires endurance. Elnaz understands that success comes from pacing, consistency, and trust in the process.
For the teams she supports, she is not just implementing software. She is helping them find their footing, maintain momentum, and keep moving forward, one project at a time.
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