Kafka Platform Engineer

3761 Barclays - BX - UK; Knutsford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Barclays is seeking a Kafka Platform Engineer to design, build and operate enterprise-scale streaming platforms that enable secure, real-time data movement across the organisation. You will work with cloud-native technologies, distributed systems and event-driven architectures at scale to improve platform reliability, security and automation.

Based in Knutsford or Northampton, this role offers exposure to multi-region, hybrid cloud environments and collaboration across engineering, architecture,

Qualifications

• Design, implement and operate enterprise-scale Kafka platforms.
• Secure, resilient and highly available streaming solutions.
• Collaborate across engineering, architecture, security and infra teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement and operate enterprise-scale Kafka platforms supporting business-critical workloads.
• Build secure, resilient streaming solutions in multi-region and hybrid cloud environments.
• Apply distributed systems and IaC practices to address engineering requirements across the platform.
• Develop Kafka security capabilities (RBAC, ACLs, OAuth, SSL/TLS).
• Work with Confluent Platform components (Kafka Connect, Schema Registry).
• Participate in code reviews and promote code quality.

Skills

Kafka

Distributed systems

Cloud-native

Kubernetes

Security & RBAC

Infrastructure as Code

Tools

Confluent Kafka

Schema Registry

Kafka Connect

Job description

Job Description Purpose of the role

To design, develop and improve software, utilising various engineering methodologies, that provides business, platform, and technology capabilities for our customers and colleagues.

Accountabilities

Development and delivery of high-quality software solutions by using industry aligned programming languages, frameworks, and tools.

Ensuring that code is scalable, maintainable, and optimized for performance.

Cross-functional collaboration with product managers, designers, and other engineers to define software requirements, devise solution strategies, and ensure seamless integration and alignment with business objectives.

Collaboration with peers, participate in code reviews, and promote a culture of code quality and knowledge sharing.

Stay informed of industry technology trends and innovations and actively contribute to the organization’s technology communities to foster a culture of technical excellence and growth.

Adherence to secure coding practices to mitigate vulnerabilities, protect sensitive data, and ensure secure software solutions.

Implementation of effective unit testing practices to ensure proper code design, readability, and reliability.

Analyst Expectations

To perform prescribed activities in a timely manner and to a high standard consistently driving continuous improvement.

Requires in-depth technical knowledge and experience in their assigned area of expertise.

Thorough understanding of the underlying principles and concepts within the area of expertise.

They lead and supervise a team, guiding and supporting professional development, allocating work requirements and coordinating team resources.

If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard.

The four LEAD behaviours are:

• L – Listen and be authentic
• E – Energise and inspire
• A – Align across the enterprise
• D – Develop others

OR for an individual contributor, they develop technical expertise in work area, acting as an advisor where appropriate.

Will have an impact on the work of related teams within the area.

Partner with other functions and business areas.

Takes responsibility for end results of a team’s operational processing and activities.

Escalate breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.

Take responsibility for embedding new policies/ procedures adopted due to risk mitigation.

Advise and influence decision making within own area of expertise.

Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work you own or contribute to.

Deliver your work and areas of responsibility in line with relevant rules, regulation and codes of conduct.

Maintain and continually build an understanding of how own sub-function integrates with function, alongside knowledge of the organisations products, services and processes within the function.

Demonstrate understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.

Make evaluative judgements based on the analysis of factual information, paying attention to detail.

Resolve problems by identifying and selecting solutions through the application of acquired technical experience and will be guided by precedents.

Guide and persuade team members and communicate complex / sensitive information.

Act as contact point for stakeholders outside of the immediate function, while building a network of contacts outside team and external to the organisation.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right.

They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Join us as a Kafka Platform Engineer

To help develop and enhance the enterprise streaming platforms that enable secure, reliable and real-time data movement across Barclays.

This role supports the delivery of scalable, resilient and secure platform solutions that underpin key business services and support innovation across the organisation.

You will work with modern cloud-native technologies, distributed systems and event-driven architectures at enterprise scale, helping to improve platform reliability, security and automation.

This is an opportunity to help shape the future direction of strategic streaming capabilities while contributing to solutions that deliver meaningful business impact.

Essential skills

• Designing, implementing and operating enterprise-scale Confluent Kafka platforms supporting business-critical workloads.
• Building secure, resilient and highly available streaming solutions, including multi-region and hybrid cloud environments.
• Applying distributed systems, event-driven architecture and platform automation practices, including Infrastructure as Code, to address engineering requirements across the platform.
• Developing and improving Kafka security capabilities, including RBAC, ACLs, OAuth, SSL/TLS and secrets protection solutions.
• Working with key Confluent Platform components, including Kafka Connect, Schema Registry, Cluster Linking and ksqlDB.

Other highly valued skills may include

• Experience with streaming technologies such as Kafka Streams, Flink or Spark Streaming.
• Experience working with cloud-native technologies and Kubernetes-based platforms in enterprise environments.
• Effective collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work successfully across engineering, architecture, security and infrastructure teams.

Assessment

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Location

This role will be based in Knutsford or Northampton.

Our Work Experience

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.