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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Staff Software Engineer - Confluent Kafka Storage - **Company:** IBM - **Location:** Durham, NC, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Java (Programming Language), Amazon Web Services, Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Azure, C++ (Programming Language), Software as a Service, Databases, Distributed Data Store, Distributed Systems, Fault Tolerance, Scala (Programming Language), Database Engines, Backend, Information Technology, Apache Flink, Apache Kafka, Confluent, Golang - **Published:** August 6, 2026 - **Apply:** https://dejobs.org/x/x/D692498011974C8589E05FFABDEB4B0A/job/ ## About the Role * 10+ years of relevant backend and/or infrastructure development experience. * BS, MS, or PhD in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience * Expertise in Java, Scala, C/C++, Go or other statically typed languages * Proven experience designing and building large-scale, distributed storage systems. * Deep knowledge of distributed systems concepts, including fault tolerance, consistency, and scalability. * Solid understanding at a systems level (disk, network, operating systems, etc). * Strong leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineers to success. Preferred technical and professional experience * A strong background in distributed storage systems or databases * Expertise in building and operating modern cloud-based infrastructure and multi-tenant environments * Experience developing SaaS services on public cloud providers (AWS, Azure or GCP) * Familiarity with or has experience contributing to the following open-source technologies: Apache Kafka, Apache Iceberg, Apache Flink * Interest in evangelism (giving talks at tech conferences, writing blog posts evangelizing your work) ## Description As a Senior Staff Software Engineer on the Kora Storage team, you will serve as a key technical authority and architectural anchor. In this role, you will tackle deep systems-level challenges across state management, hardware optimization, disk/network I/O, and fault tolerance. Beyond architecting and implementing critical storage components, you will set technical standards, partner with leaders across the broader organization to shape our core roadmap, and mentor senior and junior engineers to foster a culture of technical excellence. What You Will Do * Storage Engine Development: Design and develop a highly available, performant, reliable, durable, scalable, and multi-tenant storage engine for Kora. * Engineering Leadership: Set the standard for engineering excellence. Be instrumental in driving the technical solutions end-to-end, working closely with the team and key stakeholders to design, architect, and develop top-notch solutions. * Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product management, design, and other engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of storage features and infrastructure with the broader organization. Act as a trusted advisor for both internal and cross-functional teams, providing guidance on complex technical problems and contributing to high-level decision-making processes. * Mentoring: Mentor engineers across the team and help shape the long-term technical direction. ## Related Videos - [Let's Get Started With Apache Kafka® for Python Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/565-let-s-get-started-with-apache-kafka-for-python-developers) - [Kafka Streams Microservices](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/168-kafka-streams-microservices) - [Developing the Backend with Stefan Lingler, CTO at Shpock](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100360-developing-the-backend-with-stefan-lingler-cto-at-shpock) - [Go with the Flow: Stop the Leaks Before Your Memory's a Waterfall!](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100073-go-with-the-flow-stop-the-leaks-before-your-memory-s-a-waterfall) - [Inside Bitpanda's Tech Stack: Scaling a European Fintech Leader - Markus Dorner](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1979-inside-bitpanda-s-tech-stack-scaling-a-european-fintech-leader-markus-dorner) - [What If We've Been Scaling Stream Processing Wrong All Along?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100139-what-if-we-ve-been-scaling-stream-processing-wrong-all-along) ## Related Articles - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Top-Paying Tech Jobs (with Salaries)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/372-top-paying-tech-jobs-with-salaries) - [How Much FAANG Companies Actually Pay Software Engineers in 2025](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/230-how-much-faang-companies-actually-pay-software-engineers-in-2025) - [Data Engineer Salary UK](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/253-data-engineer-salary-uk) - [Software Engineer Salary London](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/252-software-engineer-salary-london)