Confluent Consulting Engineer Work Mode: Remote (UK-based) Contract Duration: 6 months Role Overview We are looking for experienced Confluent Consulting Engineers to design, develop, and maintain scalable real-time data pipelines and integrations using Kafka and Confluent components. You’ll work closely with data engineers, solution architects, and DevOps teams to deliver high-performance streaming solutions across cloud environments. Key Responsibilities Design and implement real-time data streaming solutions using Apache Kafka and Confluent Platform. Develop, optimize, and maintain event-driven architectures and microservices integrations. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure scalability, resilience, and data quality. Deploy and manage Kafka clusters on AWS, Azure, or GCP. Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, observability, and infrastructure automation. Troubleshoot performance bottlenecks and support production streaming environments. Must-Have Skills 5 years of hands-on experience with Apache Kafka (open-source, Confluent, Cloudera, or AWS MSK). Strong proficiency in Java, Python, or Scala. Solid understanding of event-driven architecture and data streaming patterns. Experience deploying Kafka on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure). Familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines. Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills. Desired Skills (Preferred) Hands-on experience with Confluent Kafka ecosystem, including: Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, KSQL, Schema Registry, REST Proxy, Confluent Control Center Confluent Cloud services: ksqlDB Cloud, Apache Flink Stream Governance, Data Lineage, Stream Catalog, Audit Logs, RBAC Confluent certifications ( Developer, Administrator, or Flink Developer ). Experience with Confluent Platform, Confluent Cloud managed services, and multi-cloud deployments. Knowledge of data mesh architectures, KRaft migration, and modern event streaming patterns. Exposure to Prometheus, Grafana, or Splunk for monitoring. Experience working with data lakes, data warehouses, or big data ecosystems. Personal Attributes Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. High initiative, adaptability, and flexibility. Excellent customer orientation and quality focus. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Experience Required Minimum: 5 years relevant experience (10 years total professional experience preferred).