Principal Kafka Administrator (Associate Director) - Dallas, Tampa, Jersey City

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC); Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health and life insurance

Paid Time Off and Family Care

Hybrid onsite 3 days / remote 2 days

Job summary

DTCC is seeking an experienced Kafka Administrator to manage and secure its data streaming platforms. You will install, configure, and optimize Kafka clusters, plan upgrades, and ensure disaster recovery readiness across distributed environments.

Ideal candidates bring 8+ years in Kafka administration, strong security expertise, and ability to collaborate with multiple teams to maintain high-performance data pipelines and reliable data delivery.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of related experience in Kafka administration.
• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• Strong knowledge of Kafka security, encryption, authentication and authorization.

Responsibilities

• Install, configure, and manage Kafka clusters.
• Monitor performance, reliability, and capacity planning.
• Plan and execute upgrades, patches, and DR tests.
• Implement security protocols including encryption and auth.
• Collaborate with development teams to integrate Kafka with data sources.
• Document configurations and best practices for operations.

Skills

Kafka administration

Confluent Kafka

Kafka security

Performance tuning

Disaster Recovery

Documentation

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Kafka Connect

Zookeeper

Job description

Are you ready to make an impact at DTCC?

Do you want to work on innovative projects, collaborate with a dynamic and supportive team, and receive investment in your professional development? At DTCC, we are at the forefront of innovation in the financial markets. We are committed to helping our employees grow and succeed. We believe that you have the skills and drive to make a real impact. We foster a thriving internal community and are committed to creating a workplace that looks like the world that we serve.

The Information Technology group delivers secure, reliable technology solutions that enable DTCC to be the trusted infrastructure of the global capital markets. The team delivers high-quality information through activities that include development of essential, building infrastructure capabilities to meet client needs and implementing data standards and governance.

Pay and Benefits:

• Competitive compensation, including base pay and annual incentive
• Comprehensive health and life insurance and well-being benefits, based on location
• Paid Time Off and Personal/Family Care, and other leaves of absence when needed to support your physical, financial, and emotional well-being.
• DTCC offers a flexible/hybrid model of 3 days onsite and 2 days remote (onsite Tuesdays, Wednesdays and a third day unique to each team or employee).

The Impact you will have in this role:

The Systems Engineering family is responsible for the entire technical effort to evolve and verify solutions that satisfy client needs. The primary focus is centered on reducing risk and improving the efficiency, performance, stability, security, and quality of all systems and platforms. The Systems Engineering role specializes in the analysis, evaluation, design, testing, implementation, support, and debugging of all middleware, mainframe, and distributed platforms, tools, and systems of the firm.

Your Primary Responsibilities:

• Install, configure, and manage Kafka clusters, including Confluent Kafka components.
• Maintain and optimize existing clusters while setting up new environments as needed.
• Continuously monitor Kafka clusters for performance, reliability, and capacity planning.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, ensuring optimal system efficiency.
• Implement and manage security protocols, including encryption, authentication, and authorization.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and internal security policies.
• Work closely with development teams to integrate Kafka with various data sources and sinks.
• Configure and manage Kafka connectors to facilitate smooth data flow.
• Plan and execute Kafka upgrades and patches, keeping systems updated with the latest features and security fixes.
• Develop and maintain disaster recovery plans, conducting regular testing to ensure business continuity.
• Manage Kafka topics, including configurations, retention policies, and cleanup settings.
• Provide technical support for Kafka-related issues, collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure quick resolutions.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for Kafka configurations, processes, and best practices.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing within the team to enhance operational efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 8 years of related experience
• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent experience

Talents Needed for Success:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Kafka administration, including Confluent Kafka.
• Strong understanding of Kafka security, including encryption, authentication, and authorization.
• Experience with Kafka integration, including configuring and managing Kafka connectors.
• Hands-on experience with Kafka upgrades, patching, and disaster recovery planning.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting Kafka-related issues and optimizing system performance.
• Strong documentation skills and ability to communicate effectively across teams.

The salary range is indicative for roles at the same level within DTCC across all US locations. Actual salary is determined based on the role, location, individual experience, skills, and other considerations. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.