Software Engineer - Backend

To realize Confluent’s enormous potential, we are looking for software engineers, at various levels, to grow our Traffic team which is responsible for building and managing the networking fabric of Confluent Cloud. Cloud networking is a strategic investment area for Confluent with the potential to impact the company’s top and bottom line. The control plane area in the Traffic team builds and operates Confluent Cloud’s networking foundation, providing APIs and workflows to create and manage networking resources while improving platform velocity, resiliency, and efficiency We are looking for someone with an interest in building large-scale distributed systems, with a focus on building and managing core platform services that power Confluent Cloud Networking

What you will do:

• Design, build, and operate backend services that are secure, reliable, and scalable in a cloud-native environment.
• Own features and projects end to end: requirements, design, implementation, testing, rollout, and ongoing improvements.
• Work with distributed systems and microservices, with a focus on performance, resiliency, and clear API contracts.
• Contribute to service reliability and operations, including monitoring, alerting, and on-call participation where applicable.
• Collaborate with partner teams on architecture, data modeling, and integration points across Confluent’s platform.
• Write clean, well-tested, and well-documented code, and participate in code reviews that raise the bar for the team.
• Help improve engineering practices, tools, and automation to make it easier and safer to ship code.
• Contribute to a healthy team culture through clear communication, inclusive collaboration, and a willingness to learn and teach.

Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred education

Master’s Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• 2-5 years of experience building distributed, highly available backend systems in production; experience with cloud infrastructure is a strong plus.
• Hands-on experience designing and operating large-scale services with clear API contracts and end-to-end lifecycle ownership.
• Solid systems-level understanding of networking, OS, and storage tradeoffs relevant to backend infrastructure.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Go, Java, or C++, with the ability to work effectively in others as needed
• Experience with public cloud and Kubernetes/containerized environments.
• A self-starter with the ability to work effectively in teams
• BS, MS in computer science or a related field, or equivalent work experience

Preferred technical and professional experience

• A networking background combined with your software engineering experience, Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?, IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

• Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being

• Financial programs such as 401(k), cash balance pension plan, the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs

• Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law

• Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals

• Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

At IBM Software, we transform client challenges into solutions. Building the world’s leading AI-powered, cloud-native products that shape the future of business and society. Our legacy of innovation creates endless opportunities for IBMers to learn, grow, and make an impact on a global scale. Working in Software means joining a team fueled by curiosity and collaboration. You’ll work with diverse technologies, partners, and industries to design, develop, and deliver solutions that power digital transformation. With a culture that values innovation, growth, and continuous learning, IBM Software places you at the heart of IBM’s product and technology landscape. Here, you’ll have the tools and opportunities to advance your career while creating software that changes the world. With Confluent, data doesn’t sit still. We put information in motion, streaming in near real time so organizations can react faster, build smarter, and deliver experiences as dynamic as the world around them., In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better., IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.