Kong Architect

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Job Title : Kong Architect

Location: Memphis TN// Remote

Experience: 12+Years Must

Visa: Only USC / H1B

Job Description:

We are seeking a highly skilled 12+ years Kong API Gateway Architect to design, implement, and optimize enterprise-scale API gateway solutions. The ideal candidate will have deep technical expertise in Kong Gateway (OSS or Enterprise) and Konnect , combined with strong leadership and architectural experience in API management, microservices, and cloud technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect and Design API Solutions: Lead the design and implementation of scalable, secure, and high-performance API gateway solutions using Kong Gateway and Konnect.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Provide architectural direction, technical guidance, and mentorship to cross-functional teams (developers, DevOps, security, and product owners).
• API Lifecycle Management & Governance: Define and enforce API standards, versioning, documentation, and governance frameworks for consistent enterprise adoption.
• Infrastructure & Operations: Integrate Kong with CI/CD pipelines for automated deployments and configuration management, leveraging Docker and Kubernetes for orchestration.
• Security and Compliance: Configure and manage Kong plugins for authentication, authorization, rate limiting, and throttling, ensuring compliance with enterprise and regulatory policies.
• Performance and Monitoring: Optimize API architectures for reliability and reusability while utilizing observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and ELK for monitoring and analytics.
• Stakeholder Communication: Collaborate with leadership and stakeholders to present technical roadmaps, architecture decisions, and progress updates in clear, concise language.
• Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving: Act as the final escalation point for complex technical issues, leading analysis and resolution of performance bottlenecks and system failures.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Experience: 12+ years in software engineering or API architecture, with 6+ years of hands-on experience working specifically with Kong API Gateway.
• Technical Expertise:
• Strong expertise in Kong Gateway/Konnect, including plugin development and configuration (decK, Kong Manager, etc.).
• Advanced understanding of RESTful API design principles and microservices architectures.
• Hands-on experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Proficiency in Infrastructure as Code tools (Terraform, Ansible).
• Strong background in containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Scripting and programming proficiency (Lua, Python, Java, .NET).
• In-depth knowledge of API security standards (OAuth2, OIDC, mTLS).
• Soft Skills:
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities across technical and non-technical teams.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
• Education & Certifications:
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field. xhyhwjd
• Kong Gateway or Cloud certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect) preferred.