Senior Software Engineer, Ai Gateway

Kong; Milano; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong Inc. is hiring for a Senior Software Engineer to design and own critical components of the AI Gateway in a distributed, cloud-native environment. You will influence architecture, mentor engineers, and drive best practices in testing and observability.

You should have deep experience with Golang or Python, distributed systems, and Kubernetes/Docker, with a focus on high reliability and scalable APIs. Remote collaboration with a global team is expected, with on-site work in Milano preferred.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience building high-performance software in Go or Python.
• Strong background in distributed systems and API design principles.
• Proven experience with cloud-native tech: Kubernetes and Docker.

Responsibilities

• Design, own, and lead development of critical high-performance components for Kong’s AI Gateway in Go/Python.
• Influence roadmap and architecture for scalable, resilient systems.
• Architect solutions to prevent technical debt and ensure 99.99% uptime.

Skills

Golang

Python

Distributed systems

API design

Kubernetes

Docker

AI/ML infra

LLM orchestration

Vector databases

Model serving

Networking

Tools

Nginx

Lua

Service mesh

Job description

Are you ready to unlock intelligence?

If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.

The Mission

The AI Gateway team is on a mission to build the central nervous system for the agentic era, enabling developers to securely and reliably connect, observe, and manage their AI and ML services at scale. We are architecting the foundational layer that will power the next generation of intelligent applications. Your work will directly impact developer delight and ensure our infrastructure is the most trusted path for AI traffic in the world.

What You’ll Do

• Design, own, and lead the development of critical, high-performance components for Kong’s AI Gateway using Golang.

• Influence the technical roadmap and architecture, ensuring our systems are scalable, resilient, and prepared for future challenges.

• Architect solutions that prevent technical debt and maintain our commitment to 99.99% uptime and reliability.

• Mentor and guide other engineers on the team, fostering a culture of technical excellence and collaborative problem-solving.

• Drive best practices in testing, observability, and continuous integration/delivery within a complex, distributed environment.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with product management, SRE, and other engineering teams to deliver a world-class developer experience.

• Resolve complex technical issues and conduct deep-dives into system performance, identifying and addressing bottlenecks.

The Toolkit

• Extensive professional experience building software in a systems language like Golang or Python.

• Deep understanding of distributed systems, microservice architectures, and API design principles.

• Proven experience with cloud-native technologies, including Kubernetes and Docker.

• Experience with or a strong interest in AI/ML infrastructure, such as LLM orchestration, vector databases, or model serving.

• Solid knowledge of networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, HTTP/2, gRPC).

The Kong DNA

• Ownership: You are a proactive problem-solver with a bias for action, taking full ownership of your work from concept to production.

• Urgency: You thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment, and you are driven to deliver results quickly and efficiently.

• Collaboration: You are an excellent communicator who works effectively with a globally distributed team to achieve shared goals.

Bonus Points

• Contributions to open-source software projects.

• Experience with Nginx, Lua, or service mesh technologies.

• Familiarity with AI frameworks like LangChain, PyTorch, or TensorFlow.

• Prior experience building API gateways, developer platforms, or large-scale infrastructure-as-a-service products.

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About Kong:

Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.