Kafka Platform Engineer

Barclays Bank Plc; Sworton Heath; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

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

The role emphasizes collaboration with product managers, engineers and security teams to deliver scalable streaming solutions and implement robust security

Qualifications

• Experience designing and operating enterprise-scale Confluent Kafka platforms.
• Experience with multi-region or hybrid cloud environments and streaming security.
• Familiar with RBAC, ACLs, OAuth, SSL/TLS and secrets management.
• Proficiency with Kafka Connect, Schema Registry and ksqlDB.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver high-quality streaming software and platform solutions.
• Collaborate with product teams to define requirements and align with business goals.
• Participate in code reviews and promote technical excellence.
• Ensure secure coding practices and implement unit testing.
• Lead or contribute to risk and control activities in streaming platforms.
• Engage with security, architecture and infrastructure to improve reliability.

Skills

Kafka platform design

Distributed systems

Infrastructure as Code

Security hardening

Kubernetes

KSQLDB

Kafka Connect

Schema Registry

Cluster Linking

OAuth/Auth TLS security

Tools

Kubernetes

Confluent Platform

Job description

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. To be successful as a Kafka Platform Engineer, you must have the following 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., 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. Experience with streaming technologies such as Kafka Streams, Flink or Spark Streaming.
• Experience 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.
• 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. This role will be based in Knutsford or Northampton. 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.