Lead Gateway Engineer

Role Description

Makpar has an exciting opportunity for a Lead Gateway Engineer. In this role, the Lead Gateway Engineer will provide senior technical execution for enterprise API gateway engineering, modernization, migration, configuration, and production-readiness activities under an IRS program. This role guides gateway implementation patterns, migration approaches, configuration standards, validation evidence, and technical coordination across legacy IBM webMethods and target API gateway environments while staying within Government-approved architecture, cybersecurity, infrastructure, and CI/CD boundaries.

• Lead product-specific API gateway engineering for one or more enterprise gateway platforms, including legacy IBM webMethods and the Government-authorized target platform.
• Configure or guide gateway configuration for routes, services, consumers, policies/plugins, certificates, authentication/authorization patterns, rate limits, logging, telemetry, and environment promotion.
• Support API migration planning and execution, including API inventory review, migration wave sequencing, dual-run support, rollback planning, cutover readiness, and validation evidence.
• Implement gateway-side Zero Trust, OAuth2/OIDC/SAML/JWT/mTLS, RBAC, token validation, and policy-enforcement patterns within IRS-approved cybersecurity boundaries.
• Provide technical direction to Gateway Engineers on implementation, troubleshooting, documentation, release evidence, and validation tasks.
• Coordinate with Government-designated architecture, cybersecurity, infrastructure, network, identity, ServiceNow, monitoring, and CI/CD teams.
• Produce and review configuration baselines, migration packages, release evidence, operational runbooks, implementation steps, rollback plans, and knowledge-transfer materials.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in API management, integration engineering, middleware engineering, platform engineering, or related enterprise systems work.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience with enterprise API gateway products such as Google Apigee, Kong, MuleSoft Anypoint API Manager, Microsoft Azure API Management, AWS API Gateway, IBM API Connect, Red Hat 3scale, Axway Amplify, WSO2 API Manager, Tyk, IBM webMethods API Gateway, or comparable products.
• Demonstrated experience implementing or sustaining secure API gateway capabilities in production or mission-critical environments.
• Experience with API security patterns including OAuth2/OIDC, SAML, JWT, mTLS, API keys, RBAC, certificates, token validation, scopes/claims, secrets handling, and least-privilege access concepts.
• Experience with REST APIs, OpenAPI/Swagger, JSON/XML, TLS, routing, policy enforcement, and API lifecycle management.
• Experience supporting production releases through change management, validation, rollback readiness, and operational acceptance.
• Strong documentation and technical communication skills.

Requirements

• Active IRS MBI or recent IRS suitability.
• Experience with IBM webMethods API Gateway and at least one modern target gateway such as Kong, Apigee, MuleSoft, Azure API Management, AWS API Gateway, IBM API Connect, or WSO2.
• Experience supporting API migration from legacy gateway/middleware platforms to modern gateway platforms.
• Experience with Ping Access, Ping Federate, OAuth2/OIDC/SAML identity integrations, custom adapters, token transformation, protected application routing, or identity-provider integration.
• Experience with OpenShift, Kubernetes, containers, hybrid cloud, GitOps/configuration-as-code, AppDynamics, ELK/Splunk, OpenTelemetry, or comparable observability tooling.
• FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST SP 800-53, IRS IRM 10.8, IRS Publication 4812, or comparable federal security-control experience.
• Relevant API gateway, cloud, Kubernetes/OpenShift, or security certifications.

Benefits

• Great benefits package.
• Excellent training and career development opportunities.
• Flexible work schedules.
• Generous compensation package.
• Outstanding benefits that promote employee happiness, health, and engagement.
• Encouragement for employees to be themselves, collaborate, and be inquisitive to achieve goals.