Staff Solutions Engineer
Job description
Staff Solutions Engineer - Specialist at Kong.
About the role
Enterprise clients rely on this role to navigate complex architectural challenges.
Platform and DevOps engineers build the systems that run everything else. They manage infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, observability, and reliability. The work is about automation, scaling, and removing friction for product teams. Systems thinking is the core skill. Platform teams are measured by developer velocity and system reliability. Most companies run on-call rotations, and understanding incident response is part of the role.
Key facts
What you'll do
Strong understanding of APIs and software development enables reliable integration solutions for customers.
SRE Observability strategies guide customers in monitoring and optimizing their API infrastructure for performance and reliability.
Automation Technology adoption within customer environments enables efficient API lifecycle management from design to retirement.
Kafka understanding informs platform demonstrations and solution design for event-driven architectures.
Managing multiple projects concurrently demonstrates strong project management skills and ensures delivery within agreed timelines.
Requirements
10+ years of experience in solutions engineering, technical architecture, or similar customer-facing technical roles is mandatory for this position.
Demonstrated expertise in API Design and API Management principles and best practices must be evident in past work.
Strong understanding of Authentication mechanisms including OAuth, OIDC, and JWT, along with Cybersecurity best practices, is required.
Proficiency with Linux operating systems and containerization technologies such as Docker is necessary for day-to-day operations.
Extensive experience with Git for version control and collaborative software development is essential.
Deep knowledge of Continuous Integrations and Continuous Delivery pipelines and tools is required for effective implementation work.
Proven experience with SRE Observability tools and methodologies supports measurable improvements in system reliability.
Solid understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle and its phases guides solution design and delivery.
Experience with Automation Technology and scripting for infrastructure and application deployment is necessary for modern platform adoption.
Exceptional Technical Communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills enable productive collaboration across functions.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and prioritize tasks effectively ensures successful outcomes for concurrent engagements.
Practical notes
Hybrid work guidelines set by the team apply to the India-based work model.
Typical interview steps
Platform interviews usually include an infrastructure scenario, a scripting or coding exercise, and operational questions. Candidates may be asked to design a deployment pipeline or debug an outage. Incident experience and an automation mindset are tested. Interviewers often ask about a past outage and how you handled it. Structured post-incident thinking, not heroics, is what they look for.
Good to know
Roles of this type combine deep technical expertise with client-facing advisory work.
The position relies heavily on platforms for API and AI connectivity used in enterprise environments.
General knowledge of AIOps, FinOps, and DevOps practices supports success in this role.
Familiarity with observability and monitoring tools helps teams deliver reliable solutions.
Experience with automation and scripting accelerates integration and operations in dynamic environments.
Questions to ask
Useful questions for the interview: what a typical week looks like, how work is assigned, what tools the team uses, and how feedback works. Asking how the role has changed recently and what the team wishes it had known when joining is also reasonable. Questions about the manager's priorities are especially valued.
Career growth
Platform careers grow from engineer to senior, staff, and platform lead roles. Some people move into SRE leadership or cloud architecture. Breadth across networking, storage, and reliability becomes more important at senior levels. Platform careers reward breadth and calm under pressure. Experience automating your own work is the strongest signal for senior roles.