Kafka Lead SME

Droisys is an innovation technology company focused on helping companies accelerate their digital initiatives from strategy and planning through execution. We leverage deep technical expertise, Agile methodologies, and data-driven intelligence to modernize systems of engagement and simplify human/tech interaction. Amazing things happen when we work in environments where everyone feels a true sense of belonging and when candidates have the requisite skills and opportunities to succeed. At Droisys, we invest in our talent and support career growth, and we are always on the lookout for amazing talent who can contribute to our growth by delivering top results for our clients. Join us to challenge yourself and accomplish work that matters Job Title Apache Kafka SME or Lead Job Location Bethesda, MD [Hybrid Work] Duration 12 Months [Potential Extensions] Pay Rate $85/hr on C2C Years of Exp 12-20 years Responsibilities • Lead the architecture, design, and deployment of Apache Kafka-based platforms. • Define best practices and standards for Kafka implementation, integration, and security across the organization. • Collaborate with business stakeholders, solution architects, and engineering teams to translate business requirements into scalable and resilient Kafka architectures. • Oversee the setup, configuration, and tuning of Kafka clusters to ensure high availability and performance. • Develop and enforce policies for data retention, topic management, security, and disaster recovery. • Guide migration and integration projects, including legacy system modernization and cloud adoption using Kafka. • Mentor and train development teams on Kafka concepts, tools, and best practices. • Monitor system health, troubleshoot complex issues, and implement proactive performance improvements. • Stay abreast of new developments in the Kafka ecosystem and recommend adoption of relevant technologies. Required Skills & Qualifications • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. • 15 years of total IT experience, including at least 5 years architecting and managing large-scale Kafka deployments. • Expertise in Apache Kafka internals, including producers, consumers, brokers, partitions, replication, and ZooKeeper. • Strong knowledge of event-driven architecture, stream processing (Kafka Streams, ksqlDB), and real-time analytics. • Deep experience integrating Kafka with various data sources, sinks, and enterprise systems (e.g., databases, microservices, cloud platforms). • Hands-on experience with Kafka security (SSL, SASL, ACLs), data governance, and compliance. • Proficiency in scripting and programming languages commonly used with Kafka (such as Java, Scala, or Python). • Understanding of containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes) as related to Kafka deployments. • Excellent problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills. • Experience leading technical teams and mentoring junior engineers. Droisys is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law. Droisys believes in diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and we are committed to fostering a diverse work environment.