Software Engineer 2, Ai Gateway

Kong; Vicenza; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Bonus

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Kong is seeking a Software Engineer 2 for the AI Gateway team in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. You will build and evolve the API management stack for AI/LLM workloads, tackling proxying, load balancing, and platform integrations to deliver low-latency, scalable services.

The role requires hands-on systems expertise, strong ownership, and excellent communication in a globally distributed team. Equity, bonus, and comprehensive health benefits are included.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of server-side programming.
• Hands-on experience with Golang or Rust.
• Strong Linux systems troubleshooting and profiling skills.
• Experience with distributed systems and Linux networking on L7/L4.
• Familiarity with AI/LLM concepts.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain API management software for AI/LLM stacks.
• Develop features such as proxying, load balancing, and database support for Kong AI Gateway.
• Troubleshoot bugs, tune performance, and perform low-level optimizations.
• Bridge Kong with third-party deployment platforms and tooling.
• Handle additional tasks as assigned by management.

Skills

Golang

Rust

Distributed systems

Linux networking

Linux systems programming

Ownership & communication

Job description

Join the AI Gateway engineering team to help build and evolve Kong's API management stack for AI and LLM workloads. You will shape core features like multi-LLM routing, semantic caching, and high-scale components, partnering with a distributed team to deliver reliable, low-latency capabilities. You’ll work on proxying, load balancing, and platform integrations, driving performance and robustness. This role offers the chance to influence how enterprises govern AI-driven API traffic at scale. A strong candidate brings hands-on systems expertise and a proactive, ownership-driven approach.

• Equity
• Bonus
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid holidays and PTO
• Build and maintain API management software for AI/LLM stacks
• Develop features such as proxying, load balancing, and database support for Kong AI Gateway
• Troubleshoot bugs, tune performance, and perform low-level optimizations
• Bridge Kong with third-party deployment platforms and tooling
• Handle additional tasks as assigned by management
• 3+ years of server-side programming
• Hands-on experience with Golang or Rust
• Proven ability to build and debug highly scalable, distributed, reliable systems
• Strong Linux systems troubleshooting and profiling skills
• Experience with distributed systems and Linux networking on L7/L4
• Comfortable working in a globally distributed team
• Strong ownership and communication skills (documentation written by engineers)
• Familiarity with AI/LLM concepts
• ownership
• clear written and verbal communication
• collaboration in a distributed team
• Golang
• Rust
• Linux systems programming and profiling

Software Engineer 2, AI Gateway vicenza, veneto, it