Staff Software Engineer - Confluent Kafka Storage

IBM; Lowell (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Software in Lowell is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to lead the Kora Storage initiative. You will tackle deep systems challenges, set architectural direction, and mentor engineers while delivering a durable, multi-tenant storage service.

This role emphasizes low latency, high availability, and cost-efficiency at scale, with collaboration across product, design, and other engineering teams to align storage features with IBM's cloud strategy.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of backend or infrastructure development experience.
• Degree in CS or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Expertise in statically typed languages (Java/Scala/C/C++/Go).
• Experience designing large-scale distributed storage systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and build a highly available, scalable multi-tenant storage engine for Kora.
• Set technical standards and drive end-to-end engineering solutions.
• Mentor engineers and guide cross-functional teams on architectural decisions.
• Collaborate with product and other teams to integrate storage features.

Skills

Backend development

Distributed systems

Leadership

Java

Scala

C/C++

Go

Education

Master's degree

BS/MS/PhD in CS

Tools

Apache Kafka

Apache Iceberg

Apache Flink

Job description

Introduction

At IBM Software, we transform client challenges into solutions. Building the world’s leading AI-powered, cloud-native products that shape the future of business and society. Our legacy of innovation creates endless opportunities for IBMers to learn, grow, and make an impact on a global scale. Working in Software means joining a team fueled by curiosity and collaboration. You’ll work with diverse technologies, partners, and industries to design, develop, and deliver solutions that power digital transformation. With a culture that values innovation, growth, and continuous learning, IBM Software places you at the heart of IBM’s product and technology landscape. Here, you’ll have the tools and opportunities to advance your career while creating software that changes the world. With Confluent, data doesn’t sit still. We put information in motion, streaming in near real time so organizations can react faster, build smarter, and deliver experiences as dynamic as the world around them.

Your Role And Responsibilities

Our team is composed of passionate distributed systems and infrastructure engineers dedicated to solving some of the hardest problems in cloud computing. We are building Kora from the ground-up to be a true managed service for clients who demand high levels of availability and performance at the lowest cost of ownership. Our mission is to deliver bulletproof data durability, high throughput, and ultra-low latency while maximizing multi-tenant efficiency and minimizing the total cost of ownership for enterprise data streams. As a Senior Staff Software Engineer on the Kora Storage team, you will serve as a key technical authority and architectural anchor. In this role, you will tackle deep systems-level challenges across state management, hardware optimization, disk/network I/O, and fault tolerance. Beyond architecting and implementing critical storage components, you will set technical standards, partner with leaders across the broader organization to shape our core roadmap, and mentor senior and junior engineers to foster a culture of technical excellence.

What You Will Do

• Storage Engine Development: Design and develop a highly available, performant, reliable, durable, scalable, and multi-tenant storage engine for Kora.
• Engineering Leadership: Set the standard for engineering excellence. Be instrumental in driving the technical solutions end-to-end, working closely with the team and key stakeholders to design, architect, and develop top-not-question-solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product management, design, and other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of storage features and infrastructure with the broader organization. Act as a trusted advisor for both internal and cross-functional teams, providing guidance on complex technical problems and contributing to high-level decision-making processes.
• Mentoring: Mentor engineers across the team and help shape the long-term technical direction.

Preferred Education

Master's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• 10+ years of relevant backend and/or infrastructure development experience.
• BS, MS, or PhD in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience
• Expertise in Java, Scala, C/C++, Go or other statically typed languages
• Proven experience designing and building large-scale, distributed storage systems.
• Deep knowledge of distributed systems concepts, including fault tolerance, consistency, and scalability.
• Solid understanding at a systems level (disk, network, operating systems, etc).
• Strong leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineers to success.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• A strong background in distributed storage systems or databases
• Expertise in building and operating modern cloud-based infrastructure and multi-tenant environments
• Experience developing SaaS services on public cloud providers (AWS, Azure or GCP)
• Familiarity with or has experience contributing to the following open-source technologies: Apache Kafka, Apache Iceberg, Apache Flink
• Interest in evangelism (giving talks at tech conferences, writing blog posts evangelizing your work)