Join Kong as a Senior Software Engineer to shape a greenfield AI platform with a focus on backend systems and distributed architecture.
Posted by employer 4 days ago
First seen on Joblaze 3 days ago
Last verified on the company career page 12 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Design and build highly scalable distributed backend systems
- Develop core services in Golang
- Work with PostgreSQL and Redis
- Architect systems across microservices and cloud platforms
- Prototype and productionize new platform capabilities
Must have
- Strong production experience with Golang
- Experience designing and operating distributed systems
- Solid experience with PostgreSQL and Redis
- Experience building backend systems with high availability
Nice to have
- Experience with Kubernetes
- Experience with cloud platforms
- Contributions to open source
- Experience working on platform or developer tooling products
AI in the day-to-day
Kong is building the connectivity layer of AI, enabling organizations to manage AI traffic across APIs.
Not disclosed in this posting: compensation, years of experience, work arrangement, visa sponsorship.
Joblaze summary
In this role, the Senior Software Engineer at Kong focuses on designing and building scalable backend systems, particularly leveraging Golang for performance and reliability. Key skills include experience with distributed systems, PostgreSQL, and Redis, as well as a strong grasp of systems architecture. This position is ideal for seasoned engineers who thrive in tackling complex technical challenges and enjoy working in an exploratory environment. The role offers a chance to influence the engineering strategy within the Office of the CTO, contributing to innovative AI-driven projects.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 3 days ago — first seen on Joblaze September 15, 2026. Last confirmed on Kong's careers page September 18, 2026.
- This exact title is also open at 1 other location at Kong: United States.
- Kubernetes appears in 32.2% of 482 comparable senior backend roles in United States; Golang appears in 7.7% of 482 comparable senior backend roles in United States.
Quick facts
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: Golang, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Redis.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Kong targets senior candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Senior Software Engineer - Golang role at Kong.
From the original posting
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 systems
Develop core services in Golang, with a focus on performance and reliability
Work with PostgreSQL and Redis to build robust, data-intensive systems
Architect systems that operate across microservices, networking layers, and cloud platforms
Collaborate closely with the CTO and senior engineers on strategic technical initiatives
Prototype and productionize new platform capabilities and internal tooling
Influence engineering direction and technical standards across Kong
What You'll bring:
Strong production experience with Golang
Experience designing and operating distributed systems at scale
Solid experience with PostgreSQL and Redis in production environments
Experience building backend systems with high availability, scalability, and reliability
Strong systems thinking, debugging, and performance optimization skills
Bonus points:
Experience with Kubernetes, networking, or API gateways
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Contributions to open source or internal platform tooling
Experience working on platform, infra, or developer tooling products
#LI-BR2
Standard company text repeated across Kong's postings is omitted here.