Staff Product Manager, Kafka Connect

We’re not just building better tech. We’re rewriting how data moves and what the world can do with it. With Confluent, data doesn’t sit still. Our platform puts information in motion, streaming in near real-time so companies can react faster, build smarter, and deliver experiences as dynamic as the world around them. It takes a certain kind of person to join this team. Those who ask hard questions, give honest feedback, and show up for each other. No egos, no solo acts. Just smart, curious humans pushing toward something bigger, together. One Confluent. One Team. One Data Streaming Platform. About the Role: As a Staff Product Manager in the Kafka Connect team at Confluent, you’ll contribute to the mission of building the world’s best data streaming platform. You will help drive Confluent Connect’s Enterprise feature portfolio. You will also be responsible for enabling seamless, enterprise-grade integration between Kafka and common external systems, and supporting on‑premise deployments and managed services in Confluent Cloud. You are expected to use or introduce AI/ML capabilities for the features you are building or enhancing. You will be working with the field on many GTM initiatives and be the focal point for customer success. What You Will Do: You’ll be responsible for the success of a major product initiative, from initial conception and customer development to growth strategy. You’ll become the trusted resource for your product, making sure that the engineering, design, sales, and marketing have what they need to make the right trade‑offs, build the right product, and grow it successfully in the market. What You Will Bring: 8+ years of experience as a software product manager, ideally for an Enterprise technical product. Empathy for our enterprise customers, and a passion for solving their problems with the software, sometimes being hands‑on. Ability to craft a product strategy and roadmap in concert with customers, engineering, design, and go‑to‑market teams. Excellent communication skills, including the ability to distill technical concepts to a non‑technical audience. Strong technical competency, especially with distributed data systems, public and private clouds, and stream processing. Experience with a modern integration platform is a plus. Experience with Enterprise software features like security, networking, observability is a plus. MBA is a strong plus. Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Computer Science or related technical field. Ready to build what's next? Let’s get in motion. Come As You Are Belonging isn’t a perk here. It’s the baseline. We work across time zones and backgrounds, knowing the best ideas come from different perspectives. And we make space for everyone to lead, grow, and challenge what’s possible. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. Employment decisions are based on job‑related criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by law. Privacy Statement Confluent is an IBM subsidiary which has been acquired by IBM and will be integrated into the IBM organization. By proceeding with this application, you understand that Confluent will share your personal information with other IBM affiliates involved in your recruitment process, wherever these are located. More information on how IBM protects your personal information, including the safeguards in case of cross-border data transfer, are available here. #J-18808-Ljbffr