Kong Developer

Job Title: Kong Developer
Location: Remote (USA)
Experience: 10+ Years

Job Summary
Value Technology is seeking an experienced Kong Developer with 10+ years of overall IT experience and strong expertise in designing, implementing, and managing enterprise API Management solutions using the Kong API Gateway platform. The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in API Gateway administration, microservices architecture, API security, cloud platforms, and CI/CD automation. The candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, scalable, and high-performance API solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, configure, and maintain Kong API Gateway for enterprise applications.
• Build and manage RESTful APIs and API lifecycle management using Kong.
• Configure Kong plugins for authentication, authorization, rate limiting, logging, caching, and traffic management.
• Develop and deploy custom Kong plugins using Lua or Go.
• Integrate Kong with Identity Providers using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC), JWT, LDAP, and SAML.
• Implement API security policies, encryption, SSL/TLS certificates, and access control.
• Deploy and manage Kong in containerized environments using Docker and Kubernetes.
• Automate deployments using Terraform, Helm Charts, Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Azure DevOps.
• Monitor API performance, troubleshoot production issues, and optimize gateway performance.
• Collaborate with application development teams to onboard APIs and enforce governance standards.
• Design highly available and scalable Kong Gateway deployments across cloud environments.
• Implement API versioning, service discovery, routing, and load balancing strategies.
• Create technical documentation, operational runbooks, and API standards.
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, and production support activities.

Required Skills

• 10+ years of software development and API integration experience.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience with Kong API Gateway (Enterprise or Open Source).
• Strong experience with REST APIs, API Gateway architecture, and microservices.
• Hands-on experience developing Kong plugins using Lua or Go.
• Strong knowledge of API security:
• OAuth 2.0
• OpenID Connect (OIDC)
• JWT
• mTLS
• SSL/TLS
• LDAP
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (Google Cloud Platform).
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code using Terraform.
• Strong scripting skills using Bash, Python, or Shell.
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps.
• Knowledge of Kong Ingress Controller and Kubernetes networking.
• Strong troubleshooting and performance tuning skills.
• Experience with Git version control and Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Nice to Have

• Experience with GraphQL APIs.
• Experience with Apache Kafka or event-driven architecture.
• Exposure to NGINX, Envoy Proxy, or API Mesh technologies.
• Experience with Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud deployments.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.