Lead Middleware Engineer - Kafka Administration / IaC / DevOps

Request Technology; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Lead Middleware Kafka Administrator with extensive experience in Kafka administration and Infrastructure as Code (IaC). This dynamic role involves designing and managing scalable Kafka clusters, implementing cloud-based solutions, and automating resource provisioning using Terraform and Ansible. You will also play a crucial role in deploying containerized applications and ensuring seamless CI/CD processes. Join a forward-thinking company that values innovation and offers a hybrid work model, allowing you to collaborate effectively while enjoying flexibility in your work environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of Kafka administration experience required.
• 5 years of experience with Terraform and Ansible for IaC.
• Strong cloud automation skills on AWS and Azure.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage scalable Kafka clusters and optimize performance.
• Develop IaC using Ansible and Terraform for provisioning.
• Implement CI/CD pipelines for middleware components.

Skills

Kafka Administration

Terraform

Ansible

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Cloud Automation

CI/CD Pipelines

Python Scripting

Bash Scripting

Troubleshooting

Networking Principles

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Tools

Kubernetes

Rancher

GitHub

Artifactory

Harness

Jenkins

AWS

Azure

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

Lead Middleware Kafka Administration / DevOps / IaC

The key requirement for this role is CURRENT Kafka administration experience (minimum eight years).

Additionally, five years of experience with Terraform, Ansible, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is required.

Nice to have skills include: Kubernetes, Rancher, GitHub, Artifactory.

Location: Dallas, TX. Hybrid work model (3 days onsite).

Open to H1B visa holders.

Seeking candidates with approximately 10 years of experience in Kafka infrastructure administration, automation, cloud, and container orchestration, including CI/CD pipelines, security, and performance tuning.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and manage highly available and scalable Kafka clusters.
• Monitor Kafka performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize configurations.
• Develop and maintain IaC using Ansible and Terraform for infrastructure provisioning and configuration management.
• Create reusable IaC modules.
• Design and implement cloud-based infrastructure solutions on AWS and Azure.
• Automate cloud resource provisioning, scaling, and management using cloud-native tools.
• Deploy and manage containerized applications using Kubernetes and Rancher.
• Troubleshoot container issues and optimize performance.
• Design, implement, and maintain CI/CD pipelines using GitHub, Artifactory, Harness, and Jenkins.
• Automate build, test, and deployment processes for middleware components.
• Integrate IaC and container technologies into CI/CD pipelines.
• Document all procedures and processes.
• Collaborate with development teams for smooth deployments.

Qualifications:

• Proficiency in IaC tools, especially Ansible, Terraform, and Bash scripting.
• Extensive experience with cloud automation on AWS and Azure.
• Proficiency with CI/CD tools like GitHub, Artifactory, Harness, and Jenkins.
• Strong scripting skills in Python and Bash.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of networking principles.
• Experience with monitoring tools such as Splunk, OTEL, Prometheus, and Grafana.

Technical Skills:

• Kafka, Ansible, Terraform, Bash, Kubernetes, Rancher, GitHub, Artifactory, Harness, Jenkins, AWS, Azure, CI/CD, IaC, Cloud Provisioning.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of experience in middleware infrastructure administration.
• Deep expertise in Kafka administration, including cluster management, performance tuning, and security.

Certificates or Licenses:

• AWS Solutions Architect, CKAD, or CKA certifications preferred.