Lead /Principal Kong API Gateway Developer

Job Type: Lead /Principal Kong API Gateway Developer
Location: Austin, TX ( Onsite)
2 Roles – Lead -1 Principal/Senior level – 1

Position Overview
We are seeking a Lead/Principal Kong API Gateway Developer with 10+ years of experience to own the architecture, design, and governance of API gateway solutions. This role requires deep Kong expertise, strong distributed systems knowledge, and the ability to lead platform-level initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
·       Define and drive API Gateway architecture and strategy using Kong
·       Design and oversee scalable, secure API platforms
·       Lead implementation of:
·       Kong configurations, plugins, and advanced routing strategies
·       API lifecycle management and governance frameworks
·       Establish standards, guardrails, and reusable patterns
·       Own Kong deployment models (DB-less, hybrid, Konnect, etc.)
·       Ensure high availability, scalability, and security of API platforms
·       Collaborate with enterprise architecture, DevOps, and product leadership
·       Mentor engineers and conduct design/code reviews
·       Drive resolution of complex system and integration issues
Required Skills & Qualifications
·       10+ years of software/platform engineering experience
·       Deep hands-on expertise with Kong API Gateway (must-have)
·       Strong experience in API architecture and platform design
·       Experience designing distributed, cloud-native systems
·       Proficiency in at least one backend language (Java, Python, Go, Node.js, etc.)
·       Strong knowledge of:
·       API security (OAuth2, JWT, mTLS)
·       Traffic management and gateway policies
·       Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines
·       Experience with cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)
·       Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills
Preferred Qualifications
·       Experience building custom Kong plugins (Lua, Go)
·       Exposure to service mesh (Istio, Linkerd)
·       Knowledge of GraphQL APIs
·       Experience with observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK, Kong Vitals)
·       Prior ownership of enterprise API platforms
·       Agile/Scrum experience