Faisal Mukhtar - Network & IT Infrastructure Engineer

Faisal Mukhtar, IT infrastructure and network engineer

About

IT Infrastructure & Network Operations professional with 9+ years of hands-on experience (6+ in full-time roles) spanning enterprise network architecture, systems administration, IP surveillance, and technical leadership across the education, healthcare, and premium retail sectors.

Designed and delivered complete network infrastructure, including 3-tier switching, VLAN/ACL security architecture, structured cabling, and centralized cloud monitoring, across seven institutions, sustaining 99% uptime and zero network-wide incidents.

Combines hands-on network engineering with proven leadership: managed an IT team of 10+ through a ₹1,50,00,000 seven-site network, surveillance, and systems rollout, mentored 20+ technicians at Apple, handled high-priority escalations for Ultra-HNI and C-suite clientele, and drove end-to-end digital transformation (cloud collaboration platforms, domain and brand infrastructure).

Experience

Four roles across premium retail, education and healthcare.

Mar 2025 – Aug 2026

Technical Expert → Genius (Promoted)

Apple, Mumbai

Progressed from Technical Expert to Genius within 14 months by standardizing diagnostic and quality-assurance protocols, redesigning repair-operations workflows, and owning high-priority escalation management across a high-volume, multi-product technical service environment during a national retail expansion (New Store Openings, NSO). Drove 4.5+ Queued Sessions Per Hour (QSPH, the highest across all 6 Apple Stores in India), Same-Unit Repair above 99%, and a 75%+ Empathy Score with 75 customer Promoters, while leading technical training and mentorship for a 20+ member team through a period of rapid organizational growth.
- 4.5+ QSPH, highest of 6 Apple Stores in India
- Same-Unit Repair above 99%
- 75%+ Empathy Score
- 20+ team mentored
- Genius Admin
Key achievements
- Delivered advanced technical diagnostics and root cause troubleshooting across the full Apple hardware and software ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, HomePod, AirPods; iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, macOS, iCloud, AppleCare+), sustaining 4.5+ Queued Sessions Per Hour (QSPH), the highest benchmark across all 6 Apple Stores in India.
- Promoted from Technical Expert to Genius within 14 months; assumed the Genius Admin role overseeing backend repair logistics and redesigned service desk and repair-operations workflows, sustaining Same-Unit Repair accuracy above 99%.
- Served as primary escalation point for high-priority technical and policy cases, partnering cross-functionally with Store Leadership, Market Support, and Regional Operations to drive standardized issue resolution.
- Led and mentored a 20+ member technical team through structured 1-on-1 mentoring and skill audits, raising overall technical competency and readiness for advanced diagnostic responsibilities.
- Directed onboarding and technical education for new hires across multiple New Store Openings while delivering empathetic, solutions-focused customer consultations that sustained a 75%+ Empathy Score and generated 75 customer Promoters during a period of rapid national expansion.
- Conducted end-to-end process audits of repair operations, implementing standardized inventory-control and diagnostic protocols (SOPs) that measurably reduced turnaround time store-wide.
Dec 2021 – Feb 2025

IT Head

MMANTC, Mumbai

Inherited an educational network group of seven institutions, including the Head Office, with no formal infrastructure, security segmentation, surveillance system, or governed digital identity, running on informal, WhatsApp-based communication. Rebuilt it from the ground up: architected a 3-tier (Core-Distribution-Access) switching hierarchy with dual-ISP multi-WAN failover, a fiber backbone with Cat-6 structured cabling, enterprise Wi-Fi, and a five-VLAN security architecture reinforced with ACLs. Deployed a 390-camera IP surveillance system backed by 500TB+ of NVR storage, upgraded about 200 systems, secured the institution's dedicated .edu.in domain, and partnered with Google for Education (10,000-seat Workspace deployment) and Microsoft (365/Teams) to replace informal communication with governed, professional platforms. Delivered 99% uptime, zero network-wide incidents, and a digital ecosystem still cited as the institutional benchmark years later.
- 7 sites, including head office
- ₹1.5 crore rollout
- Team of 10+
- 99% uptime
- 390 IP cameras
- 500TB+ NVR
- ~200 systems upgraded
Key achievements
- Managed a team of 10+ in rebuilding the network across seven institutions, including the Head Office, in a ₹1,50,00,000 program: ₹35,00,000 network infrastructure, ₹15,00,000 surveillance, and ₹1,00,00,000 systems. Achieved 99% uptime and zero network-wide incidents, with no further capital investment since deployment beyond monthly ISP fees.
- Deployed about 200 upgraded computer systems across the institutions, an investment of roughly ₹1,00,00,000, improving day-to-day usability for users at every site.
- Configured multi-WAN load balancing and failover with two ISP lines per site, negotiating direct low-hop routing and upgrading each line from ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 per month, a ₹500 premium that cut fault resolution from indefinite outages to 1 to 2 hours.
- Architected and deployed a 3-tier switching hierarchy (Core, Distribution, Access) across all 7 sites: 7 Load Balancing Routers, 7 Core Switches, 7 Distribution Switches, and 25+ Access Switches, engineered for high availability and fault tolerance.
- Installed a fiber backbone carrying multiple VLANs between switches, Cat-6 structured cabling to end nodes, PoE switching to power every IP camera, and 16+ wireless access points broadcasting only their assigned VLANs.
- Planned and deployed IP surveillance for 390 cameras with 500TB+ of NVR storage, sizing capacity around H.265+ compression to guarantee at least 60 days of recorded footage, with remote viewing enabled.
- Segmented the network into five VLANs (Surveillance, Staff, Management, Guest, and a restricted Core VLAN), governed by ACL policies and controlled routing between VLANs: guests isolated from every internal VLAN, staff blocked from Management, Surveillance and Core, Management blocked from Surveillance and Core, and Core reachable only by the IT Head and team.
- Deployed cloud controllers at each site for centralized remote monitoring across all 7 campuses, assigned static IPs to every switch, access point, camera, NVR, and end node (PCs, printers, fingerprint scanners) under a planned addressing scheme, and maintained full network documentation.
- Directed registration of the institution's .edu.in domain, configured its DNS, and administered a 10,000-seat Google Workspace for Education deployment and Microsoft 365 with Teams, replacing informal WhatsApp communication with governed, professional platforms.
- Appointed IT Head a few months before graduation after proposing the network revamp, then led the overhaul across all 7 institutions while mentoring and upskilling the supporting IT team.
Oct 2020 – Nov 2021

Sr. Apple Consultant (Eleva Executive)

Maple Digital Technology International, Mumbai

Joined Maple DTI as a walk-in hire during COVID-19 campus closures, balancing the role with remote academic coursework. Delivered white-glove Apple Certified Support Advisor service under Maple's "Eleva" Premium Membership program to an Ultra-HNI clientele of senior executives (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Managing Directors) across major media, banking, and entertainment organizations, while also diagnosing and resolving recurring failures in Maple's own internal office network, cutting network lag and fluctuations by 50% each and delivering approximately ₹6,00,000 in annual savings. Recognized within 6 months with a promotion to work directly under the CMO and COO, and personally requested by Maple's Managing Director for executive-level support; this technical reputation led directly to an invitation to lead a full network infrastructure overhaul at MMANTC, resulting in appointment as IT Head prior to graduation.
- Promoted in 6 months
- 50% less network lag
- ₹6,00,000 saved annually
Key achievements
- Hired as Sr. Apple Consultant (Eleva Executive) during the COVID-19 period while completing academic coursework remotely, delivering priority Apple Certified Support Advisor service to Maple DTI's Premium ("Eleva") clientele.
- Provided white-glove technical support and Apple ecosystem consultation with complete client discretion to a premium HNI roster, including senior executives (CEOs, COOs, CFOs, Managing Directors) across major media, banking, and entertainment organizations.
- Promoted within 6 months to work directly under the CMO and COO as primary liaison for HNI clientele and Apple product-launch engagements, including a personal request from Maple's Managing Director and Owner to resolve a critical device issue, gaining direct exposure to executive decision-making and retail and launch operations.
- Identified and resolved recurring connectivity failures within Maple DTI's internal office network by diagnosing faulty switching infrastructure and re-engineering the setup, reducing network lag and fluctuations by 50% each, restoring timely software updates across all demo units, and delivering approximately ₹6,00,000 in annual cost savings.
- Resigned to resume in-person academic commitments; consulting reputation and technical performance directly led to an invitation to lead a full IT network overhaul at MMANTC, securing appointment as IT Head prior to graduation.
Apr 2017 – Present

IT Consultant (Concurrent, Part-Time)

Shefa Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai

Shefa Healthcare's Mumbai office was running on outdated, budget-constrained IT infrastructure: legacy Pentium-based systems, Fast Ethernet switching, unreliable ISP connectivity, and no digital brand presence, resulting in slow, laggy, frequently disconnecting network performance and extended operational turnaround times. Independently designed, deployed, and continuously maintained the company's IT infrastructure since 2017, later re-architecting the network with structured cabling, Gigabit switching, upgraded routing, and a renegotiated ISP contract, while reinvesting the resulting budget savings into hardware upgrades and building the company's complete digital brand presence from scratch. Delivered a fast, stable network on about 50% of the allocated budget and cut operational turnaround times by nearly 50%. Sustained it as the company's sole IT function for over 9 years alongside studies and full-time employment.
- ~50% of allocated budget
- ~50% faster turnaround
- 9+ years continuous
- Website built and managed
Key achievements
- Independently designed, deployed, and continuously maintained the company's core IT infrastructure since 2017: network routing, switching, LAN architecture, and network printing, establishing the organization's first formal IT environment.
- Provisioned, configured, and maintained end-user systems company-wide, performing hands-on hardware upgrades (HDDs, RAM, monitors), troubleshooting, and diagnostics to sustain reliable daily operations.
- Re-architected the network infrastructure by reorganizing structured cabling, replacing legacy Fast Ethernet switches with Gigabit switching, upgrading routing infrastructure, and renegotiating ISP terms for higher speed and improved support, eliminating chronic lag and disconnection issues.
- Delivered the full network upgrade using only about 50% of the allocated budget, reinvesting the savings into more impactful hardware upgrades (Pentium to Intel i5, 16GB RAM) and reducing operational turnaround times by nearly 50%.
- Built the company's complete digital brand presence from the ground up: domain acquisition, Google Workspace deployment, Google Business Listing setup, and website development, hosting and ongoing management.
- Sustained sole ownership of the company's IT function for over 9 years alongside studies and full-time employment elsewhere, reflecting long-term reliability in a self-directed, mission-critical support capacity.

Rebuilding seven campus networks

As IT Head at MMANTC, I led a team of 10+ through a ₹1,50,00,000 rebuild of seven sites, including the Head Office. Each runs as its own isolated network, and all seven are monitored from the MMANTC IT department. Select a layer to see what went into each network.

Five VLANs, locked down with ACLs

Staff no access to Management, Surveillance or Core
Surveillance cameras and NVRs, off-limits to staff and guests
Guest isolated from every internal VLAN
Management no access to Surveillance or Core
Private IT reachable only by the IT Head and team

What it delivered

99% uptime and zero network-wide incidents since deployment
Dead-line resolution cut from indefinite outages to 1–2 hours
About 200 computer systems upgraded across the sites
A dedicated .edu.in domain with DNS set up and managed
A 10,000-seat Google Workspace for Education rollout
Microsoft 365 and Teams replacing WhatsApp-based communication
No further capital spend since deployment beyond monthly ISP fees

Also built

My residential society's network and CCTV

Al Mahmood Residency CHS, Mumbai

For the building I live in, I designed and installed a load-balancing router with multiple WAN links, a core switch, and a fiber backbone to a PoE surveillance switch feeding 18 IP cameras with 2K video and audio. An NVR with 30TB of storage keeps about 3 months of continuous recording, a UPS keeps it recording through power cuts, and a dedicated monitor plus remote viewing give the Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer a live view.

18 IP cameras, 2K with audio
30TB, ~3 months of recording
Multi-WAN load balancing
Fiber backbone and PoE
UPS-backed recording
Remote viewing for the committee

Ventures

What I'm building alongside my career: a network and web company, an app studio, and its first app.

FounderMukhtar NetworkingIT networks, CCTV surveillance, business websites and custom PCs for offices, schools, clinics and housing societies in Mumbai, built on the same methods I used across seven campuses. mukhtarnetworking.com FounderMukhtar App WorldAn app studio building for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Android, for clients in India and abroad, with prices set for each country. mukhtarapp.world First app, coming soonArkaan: Pillars of IslamPrayer times, Qibla, Quran, duas and a Hajj and Umrah guide in one ad-free app, in English, Arabic and Urdu, for iPhone, iPad and Mac. arkaan.mukhtarapp.world

Websites I've built, including Shefa Healthcare's and this one, are in Mukhtar Networking's case studies.

Skills

Systems, cloud and digital operations

IP Surveillance
CCTV & NVR Systems
Surveillance Capacity Planning (H.265+, 60-Day Retention)
Cloud Controller Management & Remote Monitoring
System Diagnostics & Troubleshooting
Google Workspace Administration
Microsoft 365 & Teams Administration
DNS & Domain Administration
Web Development & Management
Hardware Deployment & Upgrades

IT operations, budgets and vendors

ISP & Vendor Negotiation
Capital Project & Budget Management
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) & Cost/Benefit Analysis
Hardware Procurement & Lifecycle Management
Escalation & SLA Management
Root Cause Analysis
Process Improvement & Workflow Optimization
Change Management & Digital Transformation
Quality Assurance & Reliability

Leadership and collaboration

Team Leadership & Mentorship
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder & Executive Relationship Management
Executive & HNI Relationship Management
Strategic Communication
Customer Focus
Situational Leadership
Conflict Resolution
Decision Quality

Education and certifications

Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Electronics & Telecommunications Engineering (with IoT)

Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune, India

CGPA 8.72/102022

Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE), Nashik, India

63.8% (First Class)2019

Certifications

ACST, Apple Certified Support Technician

ACRT, Apple Certified Repair Technician

Honours

Best Student and Best Startup Idea

1st National Conference on Technology, 2019

Event Head, Student Council

Languages

English, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Arabic

Arabic: fluent reading and writing, spoken in progress

Let's talk

Open to network engineering, infrastructure management and IT leadership roles.

Email: work@faisalmukhtar.com
Contact: +91 98503 24725
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/FaisalAMukhtar

Spec sheet