Kafka Platform Engineer

Kafka Platform EngineerAssignment DetailsLocation: Onsite, Austin, TX — 4 days/weekDuration: 12-month contractTop 3 Must-Have SkillsExperience with the Confluent Kafka PlatformExperience with both on-prem and cloud environmentsExperience leveraging AI-powered tools and building AI-driven agentsKey ResponsibilitiesSecurity & ComplianceDesign and implement secure Kafka architectures, including authentication, authorization, encryption, and network isolationDefine and support high availability, disaster recovery, and data replication strategiesEnsure alignment with enterprise security, compliance, and governance standardsData Streaming & IntegrationAdvise on data ingestion, event streaming, and batch/stream processing architecturesProvide guidance on data modeling and serialization standards (Avro, Protobuf, JSON Schema)Support enterprise integration use cases and resolve complex Kafka-related integration challengesAI DevelopmentDesign and build AI agents, custom skills, or equivalent frameworks to automate engineering and operational workflows at scaleLeverage AI-powered tools (e.g., Copilot, AI agents) to accelerate development, automate testing, improve code quality, and enable intelligent SDLC workflowsDesign agentic workflows and multi-agent orchestration patterns to solve complex distributed systems, integration, and operational challengesStrong hands-on experience with GitHub Copilot and other AI-assisted development tools, including advanced prompt engineering and workflow integrationProven ability to leverage AI-assisted development and build AI-driven agents/workflows to improve team productivity and engineering efficiencyAutomation & DevOps EnablementDrive automation-first operations using Python, Ansible, and scriptingBuild and maintain self-service operational tools to reduce day-to-day support overheadIntegrate Kafka platform operations with DevOps and CI/CD tooling (e.g., Azure, Jenkins, Puppet, Chef)Incident Management & Problem ResolutionLead deep-dive investigations into complex production issues and outagesPerform root cause analysis, document findings, and drive remediation to closureOperate effectively in high-pressure outage and incident management scenariosAdvisory & Stakeholder EngagementAct as a trusted technical advisor to Schwab engineering, operations, and leadership teamsCommunicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholdersDemonstrate strong customer focus, ownership, and onshore engagementCollaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and vendorsRequired Experience & Skills10+ years of experience in distributed systems, messaging, and enterprise platform engineeringExtensive hands-on experience with the Confluent Kafka Platform (on-prem and cloud)Strong background in Linux/Unix environments, networking, OS performance, and securityProven experience with automation, DevOps, and operational toolingExperience leveraging AI-powered tools to accelerate development and improve team productivity and efficiencyExcellent written and verbal communication skillsStrong organizational, relationship management, and teamwork skillsPreferred QualificationsConfluent Kafka and/or cloud certificationsPrior experience supporting large-scale, regulated enterprise environments #J-18808-Ljbffr