Middleware Kafka and Container Tech

Syntax is a leading Managed Cloud Provider for Mission Critical Enterprise Applications and has been providing comprehensive technology solutions to businesses of all sizes since 1972. Syntax has undisputed strength to implement and manage ERP deployments (Oracle, SAP) in a secure and resilient private, public or hybrid cloud. With strong technical and functional consulting services, and world-class monitoring and automation, Syntax serves some of North America s largest corporations across a diverse range of industries. Syntax has offices worldwide, and partners with Oracle, SAP, AWS, Microsoft, IBM and other global technology leaders.

The Middleware Kafka Engineer is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing Kafka clusters that support real-time data streaming and messaging within the organization s IT environment. The role involves working with Kafka brokers, topics, producers, consumers, and configuring Kafka for scalability and high availability. The ideal candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams to optimize the performance of Kafka in the middleware layer, ensuring seamless integration with other systems.

• Kafka Cluster Setup and Management:

  • Design, deploy, and manage Kafka clusters in on-premise and/or cloud environments.
  • Ensure the scalability and reliability of Kafka brokers, producers, and consumers.
  • Manage Kafka topics, partitions, and replicas for optimal performance and fault tolerance.

• Middleware Integration:

  • Integrate Kafka with other middleware technologies (e.g., ActiveMQ, RabbitMQ) and back-end systems.
  • Work with development teams to ensure Kafka is appropriately integrated into application architectures.

• Monitoring and Troubleshooting:

  • Monitor Kafka clusters using tools like Kafka Manager, Prometheus, Grafana, etc.
  • Troubleshoot issues related to performance, reliability, and scalability.
  • Investigate and resolve Kafka-related incidents and outages in a timely manner.

• Security and Compliance:

  • Implement security measures such as SSL/TLS encryption, Kerberos authentication, and ACL management.
  • Ensure that Kafka clusters comply with relevant data security and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

• Performance Tuning:

  • Optimize Kafka configurations for performance, including tuning producer, broker, and consumer settings.
  • Perform capacity planning, optimize resource utilization, and ensure minimal latency in data streaming.

• Disaster Recovery and Backup:

  • Implement Kafka disaster recovery strategies, including replication, backups, and failover mechanisms.
  • Ensure high availability and proper failover mechanisms in multi-datacenter Kafka setups.

• Documentation and Best Practices:

  • Document Kafka configurations, architecture designs, and incident resolutions.
  • Establish and enforce best practices for Kafka usage across the organization.

• Collaboration:

  • Collaborate with DevOps, software development, and infrastructure teams to ensure efficient Kafka integration.
  • Provide guidance and training to teams on Kafka best practices, messaging models, and event streaming patterns.

• Education: Bachelor s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.

• Certifications: Kafka certification (e.g., Confluent Certified Developer or Administrator) is a plus.

• Experience:

  • 3+ years of hands-on experience with Apache Kafka in a production environment.
  • Experience with middleware technologies and event-driven architectures.
  • Proven experience with Kafka monitoring, management, and troubleshooting tools (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, Kafka Manager).

• Technical Skills:

  • Strong knowledge of Kafka components including brokers, producers, consumers, topics, and partitions.
  • Experience with distributed messaging systems and stream processing (Kafka Streams, KSQL, etc.).
  • Proficiency in working with Linux-based systems, including shell scripting.
  • Knowledge of Java, Python, or Scala for Kafka client development.
  • Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, or other containerization technologies for Kafka deployment is a plus.
  • Understanding of other middleware technologies like ActiveMQ, RabbitMQ, or IBM MQ is a plus.

• Soft Skills:

  • Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
  • Excellent communication skills to collaborate with cross-functional teams.

• Experience with cloud-based Kafka deployments (AWS MSK, Confluent Cloud, Azure Event Hubs, etc.).
• Knowledge of stream processing frameworks (e.g., Kafka Streams, Apache Flink, or Spark).
• Experience with automation and configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Terraform).

Why Syntax?

Become a part of our success story and work in a company with exciting innovation projects that are causing a stir across the industry. We recently launched one of the worlds most advanced manufacturing facilities based on SAP S/4HANA Cloud and SAP Digital Manufacturing Cloud for Execution - for Smart Press Shop, a pioneering joint venture between Porsche and forming specialist Schuler.

• Competitive, above-average compensation
• Global tourist: With us, you can also work from abroad from time to time
• Flexible working time models, home office
• Attractive benefits, e.g. company pension scheme or various health offers
• A modern environment in which the "you" is part of it
• Open feedback culture, flat hierarchies and a motivated team
• Individual career planning with continuous training and coaching on the job

You see a personal challenge in this responsible task?