Kafka Engineer with RedPanda

Job Title: Kafka Engineer W2 Only Location: Remote Duration: 6–9+ Months Employment Type: W2 Only Position Overview A highly skilled Kafka Engineer is needed to support, administer, and troubleshoot Redpanda Self-Hosted/on-prem and Apache Kafka environments. This role is focused on operational stability, issue resolution, configuration management, and automation within an enterprise-level streaming platform. The ideal candidate has strong Linux/RHEL expertise, hands-on experience with Kafka Connect, and familiarity with automation and Agile development processes. This position is fully remote and requires someone who can work independently, communicate clearly, and collaborate effectively across distributed teams. Key Responsibilities • Administer, maintain, and support Redpanda Self-Hosted/on-prem clusters. • Diagnose and resolve Kafka and Redpanda infrastructure issues, including brokers, topics, partitions, replication, and storage. • Support and troubleshoot Apache Kafka Connect, including connector configuration, runtime issues, and performance optimization. • Implement, configure, and troubleshoot Kerberos authentication within Kafka systems. • Perform detailed log analysis and root-cause investigation using Logscale or similar tools. • Develop, execute, and manage Ansible automation for deployments, updates, and cluster configuration. • Work extensively within Linux/RHEL 8+ environments, including system administration and tuning. • Utilize Jira, Git, and Bitbucket as part of the Agile SDLC workflow. • Collaborate with engineering, operations, and security teams to refine platform architecture and improve system reliability. • Apply best practices to ensure platform availability, security, performance, and scalability. Required Skills & Experience • Deep hands-on experience with Redpanda Self-Hosted/on-prem (mandatory). • Strong understanding of Apache Kafka administration and operational troubleshooting. • Experience with the Confluent Platform (on-prem preferred). • Strong proficiency with Kafka Connect, including troubleshooting connector failures. • Solid understanding of Kerberos authentication as applied to Kafka environments. • Strong experience with Linux/RHEL 8 or higher. • Working knowledge of Ansible for automation and configuration management. • Proficiency with Jira, Git, and Bitbucket in Agile workflows. • Experience reviewing logs using Logscale or similar log-analysis tools. • Excellent analytical, communication, and problem-resolution skills. Preferred Qualifications • Experience operating large-scale, distributed streaming systems. • Knowledge of performance tuning and cluster health optimization. • Ability to partner with cross-functional teams to ensure platform stability and continuous improvement.