Hiring: Kafka Messaging & SRE Engineer at OFallon, MO

Realtech Services; O’Fallon (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Realtech Services is seeking a Kafka Messaging & SRE Engineer to own and operate Kafka-based messaging platforms in production. You will apply SRE principles to improve reliability, availability, and performance, and drive automation initiatives across CI/CD pipelines.

The role requires hands-on experience with Kafka, DevOps practices, and Java-based tooling, with a focus on scalable distributed systems. Local candidates in the O’Fallon, MO area preferred for on-site work.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience with Apache Kafka in production
• Strong knowledge of Kafka architecture (brokers, topics, partitions, replicas)
• Experience with Kafka security (SSL, SASL, ACLs)
• Configuring, deploying, and managing Kafka clusters in cloud and on-premises
• Kafka stream processing using Kafka Streams, KSQL, or Apache Flink
• Experience with DevOps practices including CI/CD, monitoring, and logging
• Familiarity with Zookeeper, Schema Registry, and Kafka Connect
• BS degree or equivalent practical experience in CS or related field

Responsibilities

• Own and operate Kafka-based messaging platforms in production environments
• Apply SRE principles to improve reliability, availability, and performance
• Drive DevOps and automation initiatives to reduce toil and manual operations
• Build and enhance automation using Ansible, scripts, and CI/CD pipelines
• Perform incident management, RCA, capacity planning, and operational readiness
• Collaborate with application and platform engineering teams
• Contribute to Java-based tooling and platform enhancements

Skills

Kafka admin

Kafka architecture

SRE/DevOps

Automation

Java development

Linux

Incident management

CI/CD

Zookeeper

Schema Registry

Kafka Connect

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Kafka Streams

KSQL

Apache Flink

Job description

Position: Kafka Messaging & SRE Engineer

Location: O'Fallon, MO (locals preferred)

Duration: Long-Term Contract

• Are you passionate about distributed systems, high-scale messaging platforms, and automation-first operations?
• We're looking for a Kafka Messaging/SRE Engineer to join our growing platform engineering team and help build, operate, and scale mission-critical messaging services.

What You'll Do:

• Own and operate Kafka-based messaging platforms in production environments
• Apply SRE principles to improve reliability, availability, and performance
• Drive DevOps & automation initiatives to reduce toil and manual operations
• Build and enhance automation using Ansible, scripts, and CI/CD pipelines
• Perform incident management, RCA, capacity planning, and operational readiness
• Collaborate closely with application and platform engineering teams
• Contribute to Java-based tooling and platform enhancements

What We're Looking For:

• 3 6 years of experience working with Kafka / messaging systems
• Strong understanding of Kafka architecture (brokers, topics, partitions, replication)
• Hands-on experience with SRE / DevOps practices
• Proven skills in automation (Ansible, scripting, CI/CD)
• Java development background (ability to debug, enhance, or build platform tools)
• Experience with Linux, distributed systems, monitoring & alerting
• Exposure to incident response, production support, and operational excellence

Required Skill :

• Apache Kafka admin, Kafka architecture, including brokers, topics, partitions, and replicas.
• Experience with Kafka security, including SSL, SASL, and ACLs.
• Proficiency in configuring, deploying, and managing Kafka clusters in cloud and on-premises environments.
• Experience with Kafka stream processing using tools like Kafka Streams, KSQL, or Apache Flink.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems, data streaming, and messaging patterns.
• Proficiency in Java, Scala, or Python for Kafka-related development tasks.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and logging.
• Experience with tools like Zookeeper, Schema Registry, and Kafka Connect.

Role Qualifications:

• The ideal candidate will have experience in many of these areas:
• BS degree in Computer Science or related technical field involving coding (e.g., physics or mathematics), or equivalent practical experience.
• Coding and/ or scripting exposure.
• Appetite for change and pushing the boundaries of what can be done with automation. Be curious about new technology, infrastructure, and practices to scale our architecture and prepare for future growth.
• Experience with algorithms, data structures, scripting, pipeline management, and software design
• Systematic problem-solving approach, coupled with strong communication skills and a sense of ownership and drive.
• Interest in designing, analysing, and troubleshooting large-scale distributed systems.
• Willingness and ability to learn and take on challenging opportunities and to work as a member of matrix based diverse and geographically distributed project team.
• Ability to balance doing things right with fixing things quickly. Flexible and pragmatic, while working towards improving the long-term health of the system.
• Comfortable collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure that expected system behavior is understood, and monitoring exists to detect anomalies.

Kafka Knowledge is MUST:

• 3-5 years of experience working with Apache Kafka in a production environment.
• Strong knowledge of Kafka architecture, including brokers, topics, partitions, and replicas.
• Experience with Kafka security, including SSL, SASL, and ACLs.
• Proficiency in configuring, deploying, and managing Kafka clusters in cloud and on-premises environments.
• Experience with Kafka stream processing using tools like Kafka Streams, KSQL, or Apache Flink.
• Solid understanding of distributed systems, data streaming, and messaging patterns.
• Proficiency in Java, Scala, or Python for Kafka-related development tasks.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and logging.
• Experience with tools like Zookeeper, Schema Registry, and Kafka Connect.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot complex issues in a distributed environment.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders