Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the role
As a Staff Solutions Engineer - Specialist at Kong Inc., you will be a pivotal technical leader, leveraging your deep expertise in combining DevOps with AiOPS and FinOps, management, sales skills and system integration to guide customers and partners through complex architectural challenges. You will act as a trusted advisor, demonstrating the value of Kong's platform through tailored solutions and technical excellence.
What will you be doing
Lead technical discussions and presentations with enterprise clients, understanding their architectural requirements and business needs.
Experience in AI and closely following AI trends and applications, preference is for those who already embarked or started on their AI journey with orchestration tools, Agentic AI and agents building.
Solid understanding of Kafka .
Solid understanding of APIs and software development
Develop and implement proof-of-concept projects and custom demonstrations that showcase Kong's capabilities in System Integration, Continuous Integrations, and Continuous Delivery environments.
Provide expert guidance on SRE Observability strategies, helping customers monitor and optimize their API infrastructure.
Utilize your proficiency in Linux, Docker, and Git to troubleshoot complex technical issues and provide advanced support.
Drive the adoption of Automation Technology within customer environments, enabling efficient API lifecycle management.
Collaborate with sales, product, and engineering teams to provide market feedback and contribute to product development.
Mentor junior solutions engineers and contribute to the team's technical knowledge base.
Manage multiple projects concurrently, demonstrating strong Project Management skills and delivering results within deadlines.
Effectively communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences through exceptional Technical Communication.
Solid AIOps experience and/or Solid Kafka experience.
10+ years of experience in a solutions engineering, technical architect, or similar customer-facing technical role.
Demonstrated expertise in API Design and API Management principles and best practices.
Strong understanding of Authentication mechanisms (OAuth, OIDC, JWT, etc.) and Cybersecurity best practices.
Proficiency with Linux operating systems and containerization technologies like Docker.
Extensive experience with Git for version control and collaborative software development.
Deep knowledge of Continuous Integrations and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines and tools.
Proven experience with SRE Observability tools and methodologies.
Strong understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and its various phases.
Experience with Automation Technology and scripting for infrastructure and application deployment.
Exceptional Technical Communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and prioritize tasks effectively.
Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
About Kong:
Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the infrastructure that powers the agentic era. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and startups alike, Kong's unified API and AI platform, Kong Konnect, enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI models. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.
Skills Required
- 10+ years in solutions engineering, technical architect, or similar customer-facing technical role
- Solid AIOps experience and/or solid Kafka experience
- Demonstrated expertise in API design and API management principles and best practices
- Solid understanding of APIs and software development
- Strong understanding of authentication mechanisms (OAuth, OIDC, JWT) and cybersecurity best practices
- Proficiency with Linux operating systems
- Proficiency with containerization technologies like Docker
- Extensive experience with Git for version control
- Deep knowledge of CI/CD pipelines and tools
- Proven experience with SRE observability tools and methodologies
- Experience with automation technology and scripting for infrastructure and deployments
- Exceptional technical communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and prioritize tasks effectively (project management skills)
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
- Experience in AI, orchestration tools, Agentic AI and agents building
Kong Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Kong and has not been reviewed or approved by Kong.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for many roles, particularly in senior and technical positions, with bonuses and overtime enhancing earnings for some. Compensation is generally described as strong across a range of functions.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Policies such as flexible time off, company Unplug Days, U‑First Fridays, and a paid sabbatical create multiple avenues for rest and personal development. These offerings support work‑life balance for a distributed workforce.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options and an employee stock purchase plan enable broad participation in company equity. Equity is positioned as a meaningful component of total rewards alongside cash compensation.
Kong Insights
What We Do
Kong Inc., a leading developer of cloud API technologies, is on a mission to enable companies around the world to become “API-first” and securely accelerate AI adoption. Kong helps organizations globally — from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises — unleash developer productivity, build securely and accelerate time to market.
Why Work With Us
It starts with how we show up for each other. We’ve created a workplace that’s intentionally flexible, deeply inclusive, and built for meaningful collaboration — whether virtual or in person. We trust our teams to own their work, and we give them the support, tools, and freedom to grow.
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