Staff Software Engineer I

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: The Infrastructure team at Confluent is responsible for building and operating the foundation that powers Confluent Cloud. Our mission is to design scalable, reliable, and cost-efficient infrastructure to support mission-critical data streaming workloads. Whether it’s optimizing cloud networking, improving resource efficiency, or scaling distributed systems, our work directly impacts Confluent’s performance, reliability, and business growth. We are looking for engineers with a passion for building and operating large-scale distributed systems in the cloud. This role provides an opportunity to work on complex infrastructure challenges across multiple domains, including storage, networking, compute, and security. WHAT YOU WILL DO: - Design, develop, and operate large-scale, high-performance infrastructure that powers Confluent Cloud. - Build foundational software to improve reliability, scalability, and efficiency across cloud environments. - Work on distributed systems challenges such as consensus algorithms, failover strategies, and resource allocation. - Collaborate with teams across Confluent to optimize and enhance infrastructure for real-time data streaming use cases. - Troubleshoot and improve system reliability, observability, and performance across multiple cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP). - Contribute to open-source projects and leverage open-source technologies to drive business impact. WHAT YOU WILL BRING: - 10+ years of relevant experience - Strong fundamentals in distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and networking. - Experience in building and operating large-scale, high-availability systems. - Deep understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and their services. - Solid grasp of systems operations (disk, networking, OS-level optimizations). - Proficiency in Java, Scala, C++, Go, or other statically typed languages. - A self-starter with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment. - BS, MS, or PhD in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience. WHAT GIVES YOU AN EDGE: - Experience in one or more of the following domains: storage, compute orchestration, networking, security, or performance engineering. - Familiarity with Kubernetes, service meshes, and cloud-native architectures. - Contributions to open-source infrastructure projects. 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 http://ibm.com/careers/us-en/privacy-policy/.