Kafka

Position: Lead Kafka Developer Location: Pittsburgh, PA, Strongsville, OH, Birmingham, AL, Dallas, TX and Phoenix, AZ Locations by preference: 1. Most Preferred – Pittsburgh, PA 2. Second Preferred – Dallas Work Arrangement: Hybrid, 3 days in office, 2 remotes Acceptable Time Zone(S): EST - (Flexible if located in hub outside of EST.) Schedule: M-F 8-5 EST Contract to hire W2 Client will not sponsor work visas if the decision is made to hire the contingent worker. Function of the group: Mitigating Risk/Generating Revenue/Cost Reduction Role/Responsibilities: • We are seeking a Lead Kafka Developer to design, build, and operate scalable, high-throughput event streaming platforms using Apache Kafka. • This role provides technical leadership, sets best practices, and drives the implementation of reliable, secure, and performant data streaming solutions across the organization. • Key Responsibilities Lead the design and development of Kafka-based streaming architectures and data pipelines Own Kafka cluster setup, configuration, tuning, monitoring, and upgrades • Establish standards for topic design, schema management, security, and reliability • Collaborate with application, platform, and data teams to integrate event-driven solutions • Troubleshoot complex production issues and drive root-cause analysis • Mentor developers and provide technical guidance and code reviews Must Have Skills: • Apache Kafka (producers, consumers, streams, connectors) • Experience operating Kafka in production environments • Proficiency in Java and/or Scala (Python a plus) • Solid understanding of distributed systems, messaging patterns, and event-driven architecture • Experience with schema registries, monitoring, and performance Flex skills: • Kafka Streams • ksqlDB • Kafka Connect Cloud-based Kafka platforms and containerized deployments • Familiarity with CI/CD, observability, and security best practices Soft Skills: Strong Written and verbal communication skills Education: Bach Interview Process: • 1st Round- HM and/or Tech Lead • 2nd Round – Possible (if Lead cannot join 1st Round)