Manish
Nandanwar
Engineering Automation · AI Agents · Process Optimisation · Python Systems
PhD Chemical Engineer with 8+ years building physics-based automation tools and optimisation systems at ExxonMobil and Xylem — now applying that same engineering rigour to AI agents, intelligent workflows, and custom business systems. The background is industrial. The tools are modern. The thinking is first principles.
Professional Background
At ExxonMobil, Manish built Python-based automation pipelines for computational fluid dynamics simulation workflows — covering parameter configuration, HPC job orchestration, results processing, and automated reporting. At Xylem, he led engineering teams on fluid system design and developed Python tools for HPC-driven simulation and analysis workflows.
Both roles demanded the same capability: understand a complex system, identify the repeatable structure within it, and automate it reliably.
He now applies that same approach to AI agents, business workflow automation, and custom software — building systems that handle the repetitive, structured work so people can focus on the decisions that actually require human judgement.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Chemical Engineering
West Virginia University
2012 – 2016 · Morgantown, WV, USA
Research Adviser: Dr. Brian Anderson
Bachelor of Chemical Engineering
Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
2006 – 2010
Currently Available
Independent Consultant — Engineering Automation & AI Systems
Open to project-based engagements in engineering automation, AI agents, and custom business systems. Most projects start with a free 30-minute discovery call.
Experience Timeline
Independent Consultant — Engineering Automation & AI Systems
Independent
Aug 2025 – Present
- Building custom AI agents and automation systems for engineering firms and growth-stage businesses
- Applying 8+ years of industrial automation experience to modern AI tools and intelligent workflows
- Working with clients directly — no account managers, no junior developers, just the engineer who designed the system building it
Computational Fluids Scientist
ExxonMobil
Feb 2022 – Aug 2025 · 3 yrs 6 mos
Bengaluru, India
- Applied computational modelling and simulation to complex industrial fluid systems at scale
- Built Python-based automation tools for simulation workflows and data processing pipelines
- Worked with Azure DevOps, GitHub, and HPC infrastructure for large-scale computation
Lead Engineer
Xylem Inc.
Apr 2020 – Feb 2022 · 1 yr 11 mos
- Led engineering teams on complex fluid system design and performance optimisation
- Developed Python tools for HPC-driven simulation and analysis workflows
Senior Engineer — CFD
Xylem Inc.
Feb 2018 – Apr 2020 · 2 yrs 3 mos
Vadodara, India
- Designed and executed CFD simulation workflows for industrial engineering systems
- Automated simulation pre/post-processing and results extraction using Python
Visiting Scholar
West Virginia University
Mar 2017 – Oct 2017 · 8 mos
Morgantown, WV, USA
- Developed computational models to simulate solution mining and liquid ethane storage in bedded salt caverns
- Built models for unconventional reservoir systems to evaluate performance under varied conditions
Graduate Research Assistant
West Virginia University
Aug 2012 – Dec 2016 · 4 yrs 5 mos
Morgantown, WV, USA
- PhD research in computational modelling of complex fluid and thermodynamic systems
- Research Adviser: Dr. Brian Anderson
Technical Skills
Engineering expertise combined with modern software, automation, and AI tooling.
Working With Me
What clients can expect throughout an engagement.
You always know where the project stands. I document decisions, flag risks early, and don't disappear for two weeks only to surface with something that doesn't match what you asked for.
I approach every problem the same way I approached simulation workflows at ExxonMobil — understand the structure, identify the repeatable logic, then automate it. No cargo-culting frameworks. No over-engineered solutions.
Every engagement ends with documented, maintainable software that your team can operate and extend. You are not dependent on me to keep the lights on. That is intentional.
Most automation freelancers are developers who learned LangChain recently. I am an engineer who has run automation systems at industrial scale. That difference shows up in how systems are designed, how edge cases are handled, and how reliable the output is in production.
Ready to work together?
Let's discuss your project and figure out the best way I can help.
Get in Touch