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StreamNative, founded by the creators of Apache Pulsar, is building a next-generation cloud-native streaming platform that combines Apache Kafka compatibility with modern storage technologies. The company's URSA engine seamlessly integrates Apache Pulsar and Apache Kafka, delivering unmatched compatibility and performance while simplifying deployments and enabling direct integration with modern lakehouse architectures.
You will join the Platform Engineering team as a Senior Software Engineer responsible for building the Kafka service on StreamNative Cloud. This is a high-impact role focused on challenging distributed systems problems, including streaming infrastructure, storage scalability, reliability, and performance optimization.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design, implement, and maintain core components of the streaming platform — including Kafka-compatible APIs, storage systems, metadata management, and distributed services
- Solve complex engineering problems involving distributed systems, storage, networking, and performance optimization; continuously improve reliability through profiling, benchmarking, and testing
- Debug and resolve production issues in large-scale distributed environments
- Work closely with customers and field teams to understand real-world streaming use cases and deliver effective technical solutions
- Contribute to open-source projects and improve the developer experience of streaming platforms
- On-call support: one week per month on a rotating basis, supporting customer tickets
You will design and implement critical components of the streaming platform and help build reliable infrastructure that powers real-time data applications for developers and enterprises worldwide.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years of experience building large-scale distributed systems, backend infrastructure, or cloud services
- Strong understanding of Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar, or other distributed messaging systems
- Experience with distributed systems concepts, including replication, consistency, fault tolerance, scalability, and distributed storage
- Experience with Kafka internals, including the Kafka protocol, broker architecture, KRaft, tiered storage, log storage, and compaction
- Experience building cloud-native streaming or storage systems
- Strong programming skills in Java, Scala, or other systems programming languages
- Experience designing and operating reliable production systems
- Strong debugging and performance optimization skills
- Ability to independently own projects from design through implementation and production deployment
- Good communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
NICE-TO-HAVES:
- Familiarity with object storage technologies such as S3, GCS, or Azure Blob Storage
- Experience with lakehouse technologies such as Apache Iceberg or Parquet
- Experience with Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure
