Hari Thirumalai

About Hari Thirumalai

Principal Program Leader with over 6 years of experience specializing in the full lifecycle management of large-scale, first-of-a-kind capital projects ($60MM+). I have a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a proven track record of bridging the gap between complex R&D and successful commercial deployment of mission-critical infrastructure.My expertise lies in steering electrified industrial plant projects from conceptual design (FEL-2) through to execution and delivery. I excel at managing the complex interfaces between internal engineering teams, external EPC firms, and utility providers to ensure projects are delivered on schedule and on budget. By leading Value Engineering workflows, I have translated pilot-scale data into optimized industrial designs, accelerating project timelines and driving significant capital cost reductions by 25%.Core competencies include- Large Capital Project Management ($60MM+): Leading full project lifecycles from initial design (FEL-2, FEED) and funding to detailed engineering and delivery- Technology Commercialization: Guiding emerging, high-efficiency energy technologies from early-stage R&D and systems scale-up to successful market entry- Systems & Infrastructure Integration: Managing the delivery of medium/high voltage power infrastructure and ensuring seamless integration between all systems- EPC & Vendor Leadership: Directing all coordination with EPC firms, Owner\'s Engineers, and external vendors to manage deliverables and dependencies- Value Engineering & Cost Reduction: Initiating and leading workflows to optimize techno-economic models and reduce capital expenditures on major projects.I am passionate about applying my expertise in project delivery and systems engineering to solve complex infrastructure challenges at scale. I relish managing and delivering high-impact energy or technology infrastructure projects where technical leadership and strategic execution are critical for success.

Experience

1. Principal Engineer

   Syzygy Plasmonics

   Jan 2025 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Principal engineer responsible for the successful design, deployment and operation of multiple projects hydrogen, syngas and efuels applications- Lead applications engineering studies for customer deployments with business development and sales teams and serve as a technical SME through project lifetimes.

Education

• RV College Of Engineering

  Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Chemical Engineering

  2010 — 2014

• University of Houston

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Chemical Engineering

  2016 — 2019

• Carnegie Mellon University

  Master of Science (M.S.), Chemical Engineering

  2014 — 2015

Skills

• Python
• Latex
• Density Functional Theory
• Semiconductors
• Solar Thermal
• C++
• Lisp
• Vasp
• Catalysis
• Management
• Quantum Chemistry
• Linux
• Biofuels
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Energy
• Microsoft Excel
• Matlab
• Solar Energy