Senior Backend Engineer - Cloud Data Streaming

Confluent, an IBM Company; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 176,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Confluent in Chicago is seeking a Senior Software Engineer II to own backend systems in Stream Governance. You will lead design and delivery of large-scale, distributed services that are secure, highly available, and operable across regions and clouds.

You will mentor engineers, set technical direction, and collaborate with stakeholders to build a cloud-native, multi-tenant platform for data streaming, including components like Schema Registry, Data Contracts, and Policies.

Qualifications

• 8 years of industry experience designing, building, scaling, and operating backend systems in production.
• Deep proficiency in at least one major backend programming language (e.g., Java, Go, C/C++, or Python) and strong fundamentals in data structures, algorithms, and system design.
• Hands-on experience with distributed systems, such as event-driven architectures, high-throughput services, or large-scale data pipelines.
• Strong experience running production services in a public cloud (AWS, GCP, or Azure), including containerized workloads (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Expertise in cloud-native technology, including networking & security, and experience being part of an on-call rotation.
• Proven experience in leading and mentoring technical teams.
• A track record of technical leadership: driving projects, influencing architecture, and coordinating work across multiple engineers or teams.
• BS, MS, or PhD in computer science, engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and architect the cloud-native Stream Governance platform – a multi-tenant, highly available, and scalable service for Kafka and real-time data.
• Own and lead the end-to-end design and implementation of complex backend services within a cloud-native, microservices-based environment.
• Drive projects from requirements and design through implementation, rollout, and ongoing operation in production.
• Make architecture and technical decisions that thoughtfully balance reliability, scalability, performance, and operability.
• Solve complicated technical projects with high quality, provide specialized technical guidance to the team, and mentor/support other engineers through code reviews and design reviews.
• Evaluate and enhance the efficiency of our platform’s technology stack, ensuring we keep pace with industry trends and adopt state-of-the-art solutions.
• Take responsibility for developing, managing, and maintaining a mission-critical service with a 99.99 SLA running across 100 AWS, GCP, and Azure regions.
• Partner across engineering and with other key stakeholders to create and execute the overall roadmap for delivering a top-notch Data Streaming Platform.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, inclusive collaboration, and high technical standards.

Skills

Java

Go

Python

Distributed systems

System design

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CS or related field

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

Confluent in Chicago is seeking a Senior Software Engineer II to own backend systems in Stream Governance. You will lead design and delivery of large-scale, distributed services that are secure, highly available, and operable across regions and clouds.

You will mentor engineers, set technical direction, and collaborate with stakeholders to build a cloud-native, multi-tenant platform for data streaming, including components like Schema Registry, Data Contracts, and Policies.