Summary
✨ AI‑Generated
Join a senior engineering group focused on ambitious, high-impact technical projects and foundational systems. You will build distributed infrastructure and platform capabilities using Go, Kubernetes, microservices, and database technologies, with opportunities to explore AI infrastructure and applications powered by large language models.
Highlights
Work on high-impact, exploratory engineering projects that shape platform and engineering strategy, with exposure to distributed databases, Kubernetes, APIs, microservices, and emerging AI infrastructure.
Description
Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply.
Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
Kong is building the future of API and AI infrastructure.
Our platform powers connectivity for thousands of organizations globally across APIs, microservices, Kubernetes and now AI agents and LLM-driven applications.
About The Role
We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join Kong’s Office of the CTO team and work on special, high-impact projects that influence the direction of our platform and engineering strategy.
The Office of the CTO (OCTO) is where Kong’s most ambitious and exploratory engineering work happens, new platforms, foundational systems and high-impact technical bets that shape the company’s future.
You’ll work on everything from distributed database provisioning and durable workflow orchestration to LLM fine-tuning and infrastructure for our AI Builder capabilities, helping define a new foundation for how developers build and run AI-driven systems at scale.
This is a rare opportunity to shape a greenfield AI platform from the ground up, with direct input into architecture, tooling, and developer experience.
This is a role for engineers who enjoy deep technical challenges, ambiguity, and building systems that matter.
What You’ll Do
Design and build highly scalable distributed backend systemsDevelop core services in Golang, with a focus on performance and reliabilityWork with PostgreSQL and Redis to build robust, data-intensive systemsArchitect systems that operate across microservices, networking layers, and cloud platformsCollaborate closely with the CTO and senior engineers on strategic technical initiativesPrototype and productionize new platform capabilities and internal toolingInfluence engineering direction and technical standards across Kong
What You'll Bring
Strong production experience with GolangExperience designing and operating distributed systems at scaleSolid experience with PostgreSQL and Redis in production environmentsExperience building backend systems with high availability, scalability, and reliabilityStrong systems thinking, debugging, and performance optimization skills
Bonus Points
Experience with Kubernetes, networking, or API gatewaysExperience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)Contributions to open source or internal platform toolingExperience working on platform, infra, or developer tooling products
About Kong
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI.
Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud.
For more information, visit www.konghq.com.
Compensation Range: $160K - $190K
