SRE Lead: Java, Kafka & Node.js | AI-Driven Reliability

Appathon; Phoenix, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 76,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Appathon seeks an experienced Site Reliability Engineering Lead in Phoenix, AZ. The role focuses on reliability, scalability, and automation for cloud-native systems using Java, Kafka, and Node.js. Hybrid work is available for local candidates.

Requirements include 12+ years in SRE, strong Java/Node.js skills, Kafka expertise, and cloud and observability tooling proficiency. AI/GenAI exposure is a plus as the team drives innovative operational improvements.

Qualifications

• 12+ years IT experience with strong SRE/Production Engineering background.
• Hands-on experience with Java and Node.js development.
• Strong expertise with Apache Kafka and event-driven architectures.
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools such as Splunk, Prometheus, Grafana, Datadog, or ELK.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and containerized environments.
• Strong understanding of CI/CD pipelines and automation tools.
• Excellent troubleshooting and incident management skills.
• Exposure to AI/ML or Generative AI concepts is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead SRE initiatives to improve system reliability, scalability, and performance.
• Design, implement, and support highly available distributed applications.
• Develop and maintain services using Java and Node.js.
• Build and manage event-driven architectures using Apache Kafka.
• Establish observability, monitoring, logging, and alerting frameworks.
• Drive automation for deployments, incident response, and operational processes.
• Collaborate with development, infrastructure, and DevOps teams to improve system resilience.
• Conduct root cause analysis and implement preventive measures.
• Support CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure automation.
• Stay informed on emerging AI and Generative AI technologies and identify opportunities for operational improvements.

Skills

Java

Node.js

Apache Kafka

AI concepts

Cloud platforms

Docker

Kubernetes

CI/CD

Prometheus

Grafana

Datadog

Splunk

ELK

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Ansible

Job description

Appathon seeks an experienced Site Reliability Engineering Lead in Phoenix, AZ. The role focuses on reliability, scalability, and automation for cloud-native systems using Java, Kafka, and Node.js. Hybrid work is available for local candidates.

Requirements include 12+ years in SRE, strong Java/Node.js skills, Kafka expertise, and cloud and observability tooling proficiency. AI/GenAI exposure is a plus as the team drives innovative operational improvements.