About Me

Welcome to Niraj's corner!

I am an experienced professional with a PhD in Computer Science and Systems Engineering and engineer dedicated to advancing the field of Computer Science.

My research targets complex engineering problems in distributed systems and ML/AI. As a Senior Data Scientist at Magna International, I develop data-driven IIoT applications for Smart factories, including digital twins.

Beyond my professional pursuits, I am an avid reader and writer. When I'm not immersed in work, you can often find me enjoying a leisurely walk or exploring new technologies.

Niraj Rathod

Education

2019 - 2023

Ph.D. in Computer Science & Systems Engineering

IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca | Italy

  • Thesis: Model Predictive Control for Legged Robots
2014 - 2017

MSc in Automation and Control Engineering

Politecnico di Milano | Italy

  • Thesis: Modelling, simulation and predictive control of the medium temperature Solar Cooling Plant
2007 - 2011

B.Tech in Instrumentation and Control

College of Engineering Pune | India

  • Project: Design and development of the Variable Area Flowmeter

Skills

Industrial IoT Advanced Control Systems Robotics Machine Learning Python C++ MATLAB ROS Docker AWS Terraform Git Linux Databricks

Experience

Present

Sr. Data Scientist

Magna International | Austria

  • Development of data driven applications for IIoT.
  • Architect and build scalable solutions based on Industrial data.
2025

IoT Regional Lead & Developer

Magna International | Austria

  • Development of microservice architectures for IIoT.
  • Build scalable and efficient solutions with cloud.
  • Research and design innovative cloud-based architectures.
2024

Control Systems Research Engineer

VHIT S.p.A. | Italy

  • Research and development of the motor control software for Electrical Oil Pumps in EVs.
  • Model-based design for SIL and HIL.
  • Team coordinator for Automotive SPICE project.
2021

Affiliated Researcher

DLS Lab | IIT Genova | Italy

  • Design real-time NMPC planner for quadruped locomotion on challenging terrain.
  • Develop Python framework for ROS integration.
  • Real-time implementation and testing on HyQ robot.
2016

Research Intern

RSE S.p.A. | Italy

  • Mathematical modelling of Solar Cooling Plant.
  • Optimal control design for energy optimization.
  • Experimental validation of control algorithm.
2014

System Engineer

EEEC Pune | India

  • Design, development and implementation of Distributed Control System projects.
  • Team lead for SCADA development and testing for process industries.