Platform Engineer

Job Title: Platform Engineer (Confluent Kafka) .

Team: Platform Engineering / Data Services

Location: Malvern PA

Position Type: Contractor

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Platform Engineer with expertise in Confluent Kafka and cloud infrastructure to join our dynamic this role you will be responsible for expanding and maintaining our mission-critical real-time data streaming platform. The primary focus will be on onboarding new applications ensuring seamless integration and automating processes using Infrastructure as Code. Additionally you will play a key role in maintaining platform stability by addressing and resolving operational issues.

Key Responsibilities:

• Application Onboarding:

• • Collaborate with development teams to understand their data streaming requirements and guide them through the onboarding process onto our Confluent Kafka platform.
  • Design provision and configure Kafka topics schemas (using Schema Registry) connectors and access control lists (ACLs) to meet application needs.
  • Develop and maintain automation scripts and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) modules using Terraform/OpenTofu and Atmos to streamline the onboarding workflow.

• Operational Support & Maintenance:

• • Serve as a primary point of contact for the support queue managing and resolving break/fix tickets related to Kafka connectivity performance and configuration.
  • Troubleshoot production issues perform root cause analysis and implement long-term solutions to prevent recurrence.
  • Monitor the health availability and performance of the Kafka clusters and supporting infrastructure on AWS.

• Infrastructure & Automation:

• • Utilize Git and GitHub for version control of all infrastructure code adhering to GitOps principles and best practices.
  • Manage and optimize the underlying AWS resources (e.g. EC2 MSK S3 VPC IAM) that support the Kafka ecosystem.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of platform reliability security and scalability.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• AWS Cloud: Proven experience managing and deploying infrastructure in AWS. Familiarity with core services like EC2 VPC IAM S3 and CloudWatch.
• Confluent Kafka: Strong hands-on experience with the administration configuration and troubleshooting of Apache Kafka specifically the Confluent Platform (Confluent Cloud or self-managed).
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Deep proficiency with Terraform is required. Experience with OpenTofu and/or Atmos is a significant advantage.
• Version Control: Expertise in using Git for version control and collaborative development workflows via GitHub.
• Problem-Solving: Excellent troubleshooting skills with a systematic approach to resolving complex technical issues.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Kafka ecosystem components like Schema Registry ksqlDB and Kafka Connect.
• Proficiency in a scripting language such as Python or Bash for automation.
• Familiarity with containerization technologies (Docker Kubernetes).
• Experience with monitoring and observability tools (e.g. Prometheus Grafana Datadog).
• Relevant certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect or Confluent Certified Developer/Administrator