Apache Kafka / Confluent Engineer - Onsite - Chandler, AZ

Job Title: Apache Kafka / Confluent Engineer

Location: Chandler, AZ
Pay Rate: Competitive (based on experience)
Client: Confidential (Leading Financial Services Organization)

Job Summary

We are looking for a skilled Apache Kafka / Confluent Engineer to design, implement, and support real-time data streaming platforms in a large-scale enterprise environment. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with Kafka and Confluent Platform setup, configuration, and administration, along with strong expertise in distributed systems and event-driven architecture.

Key Responsibilities

• Install, configure, and manage Apache Kafka and Confluent Platform environments
• Design and implement high-throughput, fault-tolerant data streaming solutions
• Perform cluster setup, topic configuration, partitioning, and replication strategies
• Monitor and optimize Kafka cluster performance, availability, and scalability
• Troubleshoot production issues and perform root cause analysis (RCA)
• Manage Kafka brokers, Zookeeper/KRaft mode, and Confluent components
• Implement security (SSL, SASL, ACLs) and governance best practices
• Work closely with development teams to integrate Kafka-based solutions
• Support production environments, including on-call rotation if needed
• Develop automation scripts for environment provisioning and monitoring

Required Skills & Experience

• 5+ years of experience in distributed systems / middleware support
• Strong hands-on experience with Apache Kafka and Confluent Platform
• Proven experience in Kafka setup, configuration, and cluster management
• Knowledge of Kafka architecture (brokers, topics, partitions, consumers, producers)
• Experience with Linux/Unix environments and scripting (Shell, Python, or similar)
• Familiarity with monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana, or Confluent Control Center)
• Strong troubleshooting skills in production environments
• Understanding of event-driven architecture and messaging systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in financial services or banking domain
• Exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Experience with Kafka Connect, Schema Registry, ksqlDB
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Familiarity with containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes)

Soft Skills

• Strong communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-availability environment
• Analytical and problem-solving mindset
• Detail-oriented and proactive approach