Rajkumar Mani

Senior Powertrain Design Engineer with 12+ years of experience designing high-performance Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) components, rotating assemblies, and structural parts for extreme thermomechanical environments. Advanced CATIA V5 user with a track record of taking complex powertrain concepts from initial layout through rapid prototype development, validation, and production release. Deep expertise in high-performance engine mechanics, thermo-mechanical and system behaviour, combined with hands-on experience in Hydrogen ICE (H2-ICE) platform development.

Thrives in rapid development cycles, collaborating closely with Simulation, Testing, Materials, and Manufacturing teams to optimise performance-critical powertrain components and failure-mode resolution to influence next-generation powertrain programmes.

SENIOR ENGINEER – DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT / Technical Engine Design Authority - MAHLE Engine Components - India

(2014-09 - 2025-02)

Global Tier-1 Propulsion Engineering & Manufacturer. Held technical ownership for the design, development, and validation of high-performance ICE components and complex mechanical systems operating under extreme structural, thermal, and dynamic loads. Operated in rapid development cycles, taking designs from concept through to prototype and production release by collaborating with simulation, testing, manufacturing, materials and assembly teams to deliver optimised powertrain solutions.

• Designed and optimised complex structural and rotating ICE components for high-performance engines in CATIA V5, releasing 25–30 complex assemblies that achieved 90% on-time programme delivery while ensuring reliability under extreme thermomechanical and dynamic loads.
• Acted as an advanced CATIA V5 user, creating, optimising, and releasing complex 3D models and detailed 2D technical drawings, ensuring 100% compliance with strict GD&T and manufacturing tolerances.
• Developed and released detailed CATIA V5 3D models, 2D drawings and GD&T specifications for precision-tolerance rotating assemblies, eliminating all manufacturing and assembly errors across six concurrent high-performance engine variants.
• Created prototype layouts and concept designs for novel powertrain systems from blank-sheet requirements, performing trade-off studies that reduced physical prototype iterations by 30% through early simulation-led validation.
• Owned technical direction for an Advanced Hydrogen Platform concept, designing H2-ICE compatible structural and rotating parts from first principles, conducting a feasibility study, assessing advanced materials and manufacturing processes to support future high-performance powertrain programmes, solving novel thermomechanical challenges related to hydrogen combustion and high-pressure delivery systems.
• Drove performance optimisation of TGDI and advanced ICE subsystems by integrating advanced materials and compliant interfaces, delivering 100% regulatory compliance and earning the MAHLE Spot Award (top 5% company-wide).
• Analysed mechanical, functional and thermomechanical requirements using ANSYS, Abaqus and classical calculations, identifying failure modes and implementing design changes that improved component durability by 25% under motorsport-comparable dynamic loads.
• Drove prototype layouts and contributed to concept, validation, and performance optimisation, reducing physical prototype iterations by 30% through targeted thermomechanical FEA (ANSYS/Abaqus) prior to rig testing.
• Chaired cross-functional design reviews and provided engineering sign-off on drawings, analysis reports and validation evidence, maintaining full configuration control through PLM/PDM and ECR/ECO processes while influencing engineering standards.
• Partnered closely with Simulation, Testing, Manufacturing, and Materials teams to analyse mechanical, functional, and durability requirements, resolving integration issues before design release.
• Collaborated with simulation, testing, manufacturing and materials teams in rapid development cycles to resolve integration issues, completing root-cause failure analysis and corrective actions that accelerated validation and production release.
• Conducted root-cause and failure analysis on prototype components, implementing advanced material selections and design countermeasures that eliminated manufacturing and assembly defects across 6 concurrent variants.
• Mentored specialist engineers on CATIA V5 best practices and thermomechanical design techniques without line-management responsibility, raising team capability in high-performance ICE component development.
• Supported technical planning and cross-functional discussions for future powertrain programmes, acting as the final engineering sign-off authority for design compliance.
• Recognised with the MAHLE Spot Award (Top 5% company-wide) for engineering excellence on a high-performance TGDI sub-system, achieving 100% regulatory and functional compliance under extreme thermal loads.

PROJECT ENGINEER — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS / Design and FEA Engineer - NOVA-GLOBAL Technosoft

(2011-05 - 2013-05)

Automotive Engineering Services. Delivered CATIA V5 design and FEA validation for complex components under strict international regulatory and performance frameworks.

• Developed high-accuracy 3D modelling and detailing in CATIA V5

MSc - Project Management

MEng - Design & Manufacturing

Training - Automotive Engineering & Manufacturing Process - MAHLE