KONG API Architect Only W2

Required Skills:
KONG API
AWS

Role Overview:
The KONG Feasibility Assessment Consultant will lead the technical evaluation of KONG API Gateway as a potential platform for the clients API modernization initiative. This role involves assessing architectural fit integration complexity security alignment operational readiness and overall feasibility of adopting KONG within the clients ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:
Conduct a detailed feasibility study of KONG (OSS or Enterprise) for API management and gateway modernization.
Analyze current-state architecture including existing gateways integrations security models and deployment environments.
Evaluate compatibility of KONG with the clients technology stack (cloud/on prem CI/CD DevOps monitoring logging etc.).
Assess functional and non-functional requirements including performance scalability security governance and observability.
Identify integration patterns for upstream services authentication providers plugins and developer portal needs.
Review KONG plugins (native and custom) and determine suitability for required use cases.
Estimate effort timeline and resource needs for a full KONG implementation or migration.
Identify risks gaps and dependencies associated with adopting KONG.

Required Skills & Experience:
Strong experience with KONG API Gateway (Enterprise preferred) including configuration plugins routing and policies.
Deep understanding of API management and integration architectures.
Hands-on experience with API security (OAuth2 JWT mTLS).
Familiarity with DevOps pipelines CI/CD and container platforms (Docker Kubernetes).
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP) and hybrid deployments.
Knowledge of logging monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus Grafana etc.).
Ability to conduct architectural assessments and produce clear technical recommendations.
Strong communication skills for stakeholder discussions and technical presentations.

Nice-to-Have:
Experience with other API gateways (Apigee AWS API Gateway etc.) for comparison.
Background in modernization or migration programs.
Understanding of enterprise security and compliance requirements.