Senior Software Engineer

About the role

As a , you will play a critical role in developing high-performance, reliable, and scalable backend components using Go. Your primary focus will be on building and optimizing the core runtime engines, CLI tools, and declarative state management systems that underpin KONG's API management platform. You will be involved in designing algorithms for state diffing, validation, and drift detection across large-scale, multi-tenant API topologies, ensuring the platform's robustness and efficiency. Your work will directly impact the software used daily by thousands of engineering teams, supporting their interactions with KONG's SaaS platform and on-premise solutions. This role combines software development with APIOps architecture, allowing you to contribute to both the technical foundation and operational tooling of KONG's ecosystem.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop and optimize algorithms in Go for managing state, detecting drift, and validating configurations across complex, multi-tenant API environments.
• Architect, implement, and maintain enterprise-grade Go SDKs that are used internally by KONG's microservices and externally by clients to interface with the Konnect SaaS platform.
• Define, design, and standardize REST API contracts that are clean, extensible, and developer-friendly, ensuring integration across KONG's platform runtimes.
• Build spec-driven tooling pipelines utilizing OpenAPI and AsyncAPI specifications to automatically generate SDKs, client libraries, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) definitions, reducing manual effort and increasing consistency.
• Create modern, fast, and intuitive CLI tools that enhance developer experience, designed for both manual workflows and high-concurrency CI/CD automation pipelines such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins.
• Extend and improve Terraform Providers to enable Infrastructure as Code operations, supporting automation and repeatability for customers deploying KONG's solutions.
• Support the integration of new runtime capabilities into the declarative management ecosystem, bringing new features into the platform as native API primitives.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including product managers, platform engineers, and security teams to deliver high-quality, scalable, and reliable backend systems.
• Mentor junior engineers, review code, and articulate complex technical decisions clearly to ensure team growth and knowledge sharing.
• Participate in automated testing efforts, benchmarking, and performance optimization to uphold high engineering standards.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of KONG's API management suite, including the Kong Enterprise Gateway, Konnect SaaS platform, and Managed Gateways in public clouds.
• Engage in continuous improvement of the software development lifecycle, adopting best practices for code quality, automation, and deployment.
• Work within a fast-paced, high-growth environment, adapting to evolving technical requirements and customer needs.
• Support the team in troubleshooting, incident response, and operational support for KONG's platform.
• Contribute to open-source projects and community engagement where applicable, aligning with KONG's open-source adjacent approach.
• Ensure compliance with security standards and best practices, especially when working with cloud providers and multi-tenant environments.
• Stay updated on industry trends in API management, cloud-native development, and infrastructure automation to bring innovative solutions to KONG.
• Help shape the technical roadmap for declarative engines, SDKs, CLI tools, and IaC integrations.
• Participate in technical discussions, design reviews, and documentation efforts to ensure clarity and maintainability of the platform.
• Support the onboarding of new features into the platform, ensuring they are scalable, secure, and easy to use.
• Contribute to the development of high-availability, fault-tolerant systems that support KONG's enterprise customers.
• Work closely with customer support and operations teams to resolve issues and improve platform reliability.
• Advocate for best practices in software engineering, testing, and deployment processes.
• Assist in the development of internal tools and frameworks to streamline development workflows.
• Engage with the broader KONG community and contribute to knowledge sharing and best practices.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on designing and delivering production-grade backend systems and developer tools using Golang.
• Proven experience in API design, with a strong understanding of REST, gRPC, and OpenAPI specifications, emphasizing backwards compatibility and versioning.
• Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform providers, Kubernetes operators, or similar automation pipelines.
• Deep understanding of software architecture principles, including microservices, distributed systems, and multi-tenant environments.
• Strong commitment to writing clean, maintainable, and well-tested code, with experience in automated testing frameworks covering unit, integration, and end-to-end tests.
• Ability to develop and optimize algorithms for large-scale state management, drift detection, and validation.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP, and familiarity with cloud-native development practices.
• Knowledge of CI/CD pipelines, especially GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and GitLab CI, and experience building developer tooling for automation.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly and mentor team members.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams, including product management, platform engineering, and security.
• Experience with high-performance systems, benchmarking, and performance tuning.
• Familiarity with API governance, declarative state synchronization, and API lifecycle management.
• Ability to adapt quickly to evolving technical requirements and customer needs.
• Experience working in high-growth, fast-paced environments or startups is a plus.
• Knowledge of security best practices, especially in multi-tenant SaaS environments, is advantageous.
• Contributions to open-source projects or community involvement related to API management or developer tooling are a plus.

Nice to have

• Experience working with AI and machine learning integrations within API platforms.
• Familiarity with cloud-native tools such as Kubernetes operators and service meshes.
• Contributions to open-source projects related to API management, SDK generation, or developer tooling.
• Knowledge of ITAR compliance and security considerations in API platform development.
• Experience with multi-cloud deployments and hybrid cloud architectures.
• Understanding of advanced API governance, security, and analytics solutions.

Skills & tools

• Go (Golang)
• AWS, Azure, GCP
• Kubernetes
• Terraform
• Jenkins
• CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI)
• REST API, gRPC
• OpenAPI, AsyncAPI
• API management and developer tooling
• Microservices architecture
• SaaS platforms
• Infrastructure automation and declarative configuration
• Cloud-native development practices
• Automated testing frameworks
• Software architecture and design
• Performance benchmarking and optimization

Practical notes

• This position is based on-site in Bangalore, India; remote work is .
• The role involves working on complex, large-scale API management systems and developer tools that impact global enterprise customers.
• Candidates should have a strong background in backend development, API design, and infrastructure automation.
• The position offers an opportunity to contribute to products used by Fortune 500 companies and millions of developers worldwide.
• You will be working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment that values innovation, quality, and collaboration.
• The role requires working closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, platform engineers, and security specialists.
• The work involves both hands-on development and architectural decision-making.
• Candidates should be comfortable working in a collaborative environment with a focus on continuous improvement.
• The position offers opportunities for mentorship, technical leadership, and career growth within a market-leading company.
• The company values open-source engagement and community contributions.
• Candidates should be prepared to participate in code reviews, testing, and deployment processes to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• The work environment emphasizes security, reliability, and scalability to support enterprise-grade solutions.
• The role involves supporting operational issues, troubleshooting, and incident response to maintain platform stability.
• The company encourages staying updated on industry trends in API management, cloud-native development, and automation.
• This is an excellent opportunity for engineers about building foundational tools and systems that enable modern API and AI connectivity solutions.