Network Engineer

About Aspire - IITB Research Park Foundation (IITBRPF):

In 2016, the Ministry of Education entrusted IIT Bombay with a pivotal mission: to establish the Research Park within the sprawling campus in Powai, Mumbai. This led to the creation of ASPIRE the IIT Bombay Research Park Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to catalysing innovation and research with real-world impact.

Inspired by globally successful research park models, ASPIRE (Applied Science Park for Innovation Research & Entrepreneurship) emerges as the epicenter, that connects knowledge, expertise, and resources seamlessly, fostering a strong and collaborative industry-academia ecosystem with a global outlook.

We cultivate R&D partnerships which evolve into a thriving innovation hub, advancing technologies with meaningful societal impact. Our industry-centric workspaces facilitate collaborative development, while students gain invaluable corporate research exposure, enriching the nations talent pool. Its a dynamic ecosystem where academia, industry, and students converge to drive innovation and uphold academic excellence.

Job Description:

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Network Engineer to manage the office-wide network infrastructure, including connectivity in meeting rooms, auditoriums, and office workspaces. This role is essential to ensure seamless, secure, and high-performance network services that support both day-to-day operations and special events. The ideal candidate will ensure reliable connectivity, high-speed internet, secure network access, and seamless AV support for business operations and events.

This role demands hands-on technical expertise, proactive problem-solving, and close collaboration with IT, facilities, and AV teams.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Design, plan, deploy, and manage the organizations complete network infrastructure, including LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, switches, routers, and firewalls across office areas, meeting rooms, conference rooms, and the auditorium.
• Ensure uninterrupted, high-speed internet connectivity and reliable internal network access for employees, visitors, and large-scale events.
• Manage interactions with multiple ISPs to address bandwidth issues, downtime, link failover, escalation handling, and service optimization.
• Configure, maintain, and optimize firewalls, including regular firewall rule audits, cleanup, performance tuning, and policy enforcement.
• Collaborate with information security teams to implement firewall and network policies aligned with compliance and security standards.
• Configure and maintain core network components, including VLANs, IP address planning, DHCP/DNS services, routing protocols, and wireless controllers.
• Monitor network performance, utilization, and availability using monitoring tools; proactively identify and resolve bottlenecks, outages, or latency issues.
• Provide dedicated network support for AV systems, video conferencing platforms, and live-streaming requirements in auditoriums and conference rooms.
• Take ownership of AWS-based backups for network devices and critical systems, ensuring secure cloud backups and restoration readiness.
• Manage backups of auditorium and meeting room software systems, ensuring data protection, version control, and quick issue resolution.
• Troubleshoot and resolve hardware, software, and network-related issues promptly to minimize operational downtime.
• Maintain strong network security through firewalls, VPNs, ACLs, access controls, endpoint security, and periodic vulnerability assessments.
• Coordinate with hardware vendors and service providers for installation, maintenance, replacements, and infrastructure upgrades.
• Oversee network cabling activities, including laying new cables, repairing broken lines, rearranging cabling infrastructure, and ensuring proper cable management (including IITB network cabling requirements, if applicable).
• Perform routine preventive maintenance, firmware updates, and patch management on all networking equipment.
• Maintain detailed documentation of network topology, IP schemes, configurations, backup logs, and change management records.
• Prepare and update network diagrams using CAD or network diagramming tools for planning and reporting purposes.
• Install, configure, and maintain desktops, laptops, and peripheral devices when required.
• Manage LDAP/Active Directory user accounts, permissions, and access control policies.
• Support capacity planning, scalability improvements, and continuous enhancement of the network infrastructure.

Skills and Expertise:

• Bachelors degree in computer science, Information Technology, or related field.
• 5-7 years of experience as a Network Engineer or similar role.
• Strong understanding of networking protocols (TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, VLANs etc.) and network security.
• Experience with managing Cisco, Legrand, or similar network equipment.
• Familiarity with AV/VC systems and how they interface with the network (Zoom Rooms, Microsoft Teams Rooms, etc.).
• Experience with firewall configuration and network security best practices.
• Proficient in using network monitoring and diagnostic tools.
• Excellent troubleshooting and communication skills.
• Certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, or CompTIA Network+ will be preferred.
• Experience managing networks in smart offices or hybrid work environments.
• Familiarity with structured cabling and network infrastructure planning.

We are an equal-opportunity employer.