Andre Timokhin
Infrastructure engineer turned IT delivery leader. I build the teams, processes and tools behind IT projects.
At Impact Networking, a managed service provider, I built the technical project team from the ground up. I picked and promoted engineers from within, grew the team to 12, and ran it as a department, not just a team: I wrote the procedures every project runs on, defined the utilization and budget metrics and reported them to VP level, built the quoting tool every project deal went through, and designed a bonus program with the executive team. By 2025 the team was delivering hundreds of client projects a year across a multimillion-dollar portfolio.
My foundation is 20 years of hands-on work: software engineer, IT infrastructure manager, MSP field and lead engineer, and co-founder and CTO of an e-commerce company that grew past $2 million a year and was sold in 2021. I still build. My homelab runs on Proxmox and Ceph with an AI assistant that works inside clear limits, and I write about all of it on the blog.
My skills
Experience
Led the expansion of the Technical Project Team into the Project Implementation Team: a centralized implementation organization delivering the full managed IT project catalog, run as a department with its own processes, metrics and financial model.
Responsibilities:
- Made the case for moving from a migration-focused team to a centralized implementation function, then led the transition: set KPIs and goals, defined role expectations and accountability, and got the team on board.
- Consolidated implementation work previously spread across field engineering, covering client onboarding, cloud, Microsoft 365 and identity, endpoints, networking, security and large migrations.
- Grew and led a team of up to 12 engineers across Associate, Implementation, Senior and Lead levels, promoting from within and developing a lead engineer toward management.
- Delivered hundreds of client projects a year across a multimillion-dollar project portfolio.
- Built the delivery system: a standard phase-based SOW and project lifecycle, dozens of SOPs and customer-facing guides, QA and validation gates, and a clean handoff to Service Delivery.
- Defined and validated utilization, billable time, budget adherence and margin metrics, and reported them to VP level through Power BI.
- Designed a performance bonus program with the executive leadership team, built on utilization, budget, quality and documentation gates.
- Built workforce capacity and financial models, from spreadsheets to an offline scenario app built with AI-assisted development, so leadership could test staffing, backlog and hiring decisions.
- Also managed an emerging pre-sales engineering function and helped build a business technical architecture (BTA) role alongside implementation.
Successfully established and led a high-performance team of top-tier engineers, with a focus on delivering cutting-edge technical solutions and executing complex infrastructure and technology projects for managed clients.
Responsibilities:
- Led the hiring and interviewing process for new team members, ensuring that candidates were thoroughly screened for technical expertise, professional experience, and cultural fit with the team and organization.
- Collaborated with HR and senior management to establish competitive compensation and benefits packages that aligned with industry standards and supported employee retention and engagement.
- Conducted comprehensive onboarding programs for new hires, providing them with the necessary training and resources to ensure a smooth transition into the team and organization.
- Provided mentorship, training, and guidance to foster professional growth and enhance team productivity.
- Collaborated with clients to assess their infrastructure and technology needs and developed customized solutions that met their specific requirements.
- Managed complex technical projects from conception to completion, ensuring adherence to budget, timeline, and quality standards.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders and vendors to ensure successful project delivery and ongoing client satisfaction.
- Conducted regular performance evaluations, provided constructive feedback, and implemented corrective measures as needed to improve team performance and achieve business objectives.
Lead Field Network Engineer provides support and mentorship to Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers, including training and guidance on company processes and products. Creates, drives, and improves Engineer initiatives to improve overall service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Responsibilities:
- Interviewed and vetted all engineers to ensure they met the company's requirements and standards.
- Provided guidance and mentorship to Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers on company processes and products.
- Trained Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers on new technology and product offerings.
- Developed and implemented training programs for Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers to improve their technical and customer service skills.
- Evaluated the performance of Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers and provided feedback and coaching to improve their performance.
- Developed and implemented processes and procedures to ensure consistent service delivery across the team.
- Analyzed data and metrics to identify areas for improvement in service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Developed and implemented initiatives to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Collaborated with other teams to ensure smooth delivery of network services to customers.
- Served as a technical escalation point for Field Network Engineers and Senior Field Network Engineers.
- Kept up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in network engineering and applied that knowledge to improve service delivery and customer satisfaction.
Senior Field Network Engineer maintains and improves client computing experiences as well as designs in-depth technical project plans to support the efforts.
Responsibilities:
- Maintained and improved client infrastructure and computing through regular monitoring, troubleshooting, and problem resolution.
- Designed in-depth technical project plans that supported the efforts of the team and aligned with client goals and objectives.
- Provided technical expertise and support to the team during project planning and execution.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery and client satisfaction.
- Ensured that project deliverables met quality standards, were completed on time and within budget.
- Stayed up-to-date with the latest technologies, tools, and industry trends related to network engineering, and incorporated them into project plans as appropriate.
- Acted as a technical escalation point for complex issues that could not be resolved by Field Network Engineers.
- Mentored and provided guidance to Field Network Engineers to improve their technical skills and ensure consistency in service delivery.
- Participated in client meetings and provided technical input as needed.
- Adhered to 30 minute call-back policy for any client escalations 24/7.
Field Network Engineer maintains and improves client computing experiences through effective on-site monitoring, maintenance, problem identification and resolution activities, as well as further developing positive reputation with existing clients through exceptional service.
Responsibilities:
- Maintained up-time and all systems for 6-10 primary clients
- Installed and configured network equipment and software for clients according to established procedures and best practices.
- Monitored and maintained network performance to ensure optimal operation and identify issues for resolution.
- Responded to client requests for technical support, troubleshooting and resolving issues in a timely and efficient manner.
- Documented network changes, issues, and resolutions in a clear and concise manner to ensure accuracy and consistency of information.
- Conducted regular network audits and implemented recommendations for improvement to ensure network security, reliability, and performance.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery and client satisfaction.
- Stayed up-to-date with the latest technologies, tools, and industry trends related to network engineering, and incorporated them into daily operations as appropriate.
E-Commerce Startup selling Electronic Cigarettes and Accessories.
Responsibilities:
- Developed and executed company's technology strategy
- Spearhead all IT projects to increase market reach
- Negotiated with all technology partners
- Designed, deployed, and maintained all internal and public facing infrastructre
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive security strategy that protected the company's data and systems from potential threats.
- Tracked, analyzed and monitored technology performance metrics
- Identified new technology trends and innovations that could be leveraged to improve the company's products and services, and implemented them.
Results:
- Grew organic site traffic to over 250k unique monthly visitors through content generation and SEO
- Improved the user experience for customers by developing intuitive and user-friendly online ordering process
- Increased conversion rate from 1.3% to 2.5% utilizing A/B split testing
- Integrated disparate SaaS platforms to streamline business processes resulting in 35% operations cost reduction
- Maintained all systems with no downtime or security breaches
- Successfully sold MistHub in Feb 2021