Senior Backend Architect - Cloud-Native Data Platform Remote

IBM; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Confluent is seeking a Senior Software Developer/Architect to help build and operate a multi-tenant, cloud-native compute platform. You will design, implement, and scale backend services across Kafka, Flink, and related tech, balancing reliability, performance, and operability in a highly available environment.

You will lead architecture decisions, collaborate across teams, and mentor engineers while shaping the growth of a new compute substrate for the IBM Confluent Cloud.

Qualifications

• 7+ years industry experience designing, building, and supporting backend systems in production with a solid grasp on good software engineering practices such as code reviews, deep focus on quality, and documentation
• Strong knowledge of Python runtime environments (virtual environments, package management, and interpreter configurations)
• Strong programming and algorithmic skills. Proficiency in a major programming language, e.g. Python, Go, C / C++, Java, etc.
• Strong experience running services in a public cloud (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including containers and orchestration (for example, Docker, Kubernetes) and modern cloud native technologies
• Expertise in other Language Runtimes / VMs (JVM/WASM, etc.) a big plus
• A track record of technical leadership: driving projects, influencing architecture, and coordinating work across multiple engineers or teams
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to align stakeholders, explain complex ideas clearly, and drive decisions
• Experience with observability and operational excellence (metrics, logging, tracing, incident response, and postmortems)
• BS, MS, or PhD in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience

Responsibilities

• Own and lead the design and implementation of complex backend services and systems in a cloud-native, microservices-based environment
• Make architecture and technical decisions that balance reliability, scalability, performance, and operability, and clearly communicate the tradeoffs
• Drive projects end to end: from requirements and design through implementation, rollout, and ongoing operation in production
• Improve service reliability and operations by defining SLOs/SLAs, strengthening observability, and participating in on call as needed
• Collaborate across teams to define APIs, integration points, and data models that keep the platform coherent and evolvable
• Identify and drive platform and productivity improvements (tooling, automation, process) that raise the bar for the broader engineering organization
• Mentor and support other engineers through code reviews, design reviews, and technical guidance, helping grow the team’s capabilities
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, inclusive collaboration, and high technical standards

Skills

Backend architecture

Python

Programming languages

Cloud native

AWS/GCP/Azure

Observability

Leadership

Communication

Distributed systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

Apache Flink

JVM

Job description

IBM Confluent is seeking a Senior Software Developer/Architect to help build and operate a multi-tenant, cloud-native compute platform. You will design, implement, and scale backend services across Kafka, Flink, and related tech, balancing reliability, performance, and operability in a highly available environment.

You will lead architecture decisions, collaborate across teams, and mentor engineers while shaping the growth of a new compute substrate for the IBM Confluent Cloud.