Kafka - Confluence Engineer - remote but ONSITE interview required

Job Title: Kafka - Confluence Engineer 
Location: 100% remote - BUT MUST BE AVAILABE FOR ONSITE INTERVIEW, AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE IN VIENNA, VA OR PENSACOLA, FL OR SAN DIEGO, CA 
Type: Contract, long term expected
Compensation: $60 - $75/HR
Work Model: Remote 
Hours: 40 hours a week, Must work EST hours
Security Clearance: None but client will run criminal, credit and fingerprints

• Support enterprise messaging and event-driven platforms, ensuring seamless operation and integration.
• Administer and troubleshoot Confluent Kafka environments across multiple deployment stages, including development, QA, performance, disaster recovery, and production.
• Manage Kafka cluster sizing, broker management, partition strategies, replication, retention policies, and capacity planning to optimize system performance.
• Implement and oversee high availability, disaster recovery, and multi-cluster replication strategies to ensure system resilience.
• Configure and secure Kafka, including TLS, mTLS, RBAC, ACLs, encryption, and authentication mechanisms.
• Integrate Kafka with Kubernetes/OpenShift, cloud platforms, observability tools, and CI/CD pipelines for streamlined operations.
• Troubleshoot producer, consumer, broker, and cluster-level issues; perform root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance event-driven architecture, data contracts, and enterprise integration patterns.

Requirements

• 5+ years supporting enterprise messaging and event-driven platforms.
• 3+ years hands-on administration experience with Confluent Kafka.
• Experience managing multi-environment Kafka deployments (Development, QA, Performance, DR, and Production).
• Knowledge of Kafka cluster sizing, broker management, partition strategy, replication, retention policies, and capacity planning.
• Experience troubleshooting producer, consumer, broker, and cluster-level issues.
• Proficiency with Confluent Control Center, Schema Registry, Connect, ksqlDB, and stream processing technologies.
• Experience implementing high availability, disaster recovery, and multi-cluster replication strategies.
• Hands-on experience with Kafka security including TLS, mTLS, RBAC, ACLs, encryption, and authentication mechanisms.
• Strong knowledge of integrating Kafka with Kubernetes/OpenShift, cloud environments, observability tools, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Understanding of event-driven architecture, data contracts, and enterprise integration patterns.
• Preferred: Confluent certifications.

System One, and its subsidiaries including Joulé and Mountain Ltd., are leaders in delivering outsourced services and workforce solutions across North America. We help clients get work done more efficiently and economically, without compromising quality. System One not only serves as a valued partner for our clients, but we offer eligible employees health and welfare benefits coverage options including medical, dental, vision, spending accounts, life insurance, voluntary plans, as well as participation in a 401(k) plan.

System One is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, family care or medical leave status, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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Ref: #851-Rockville-S1