Staff Software Engineer I - Kora Storage

Confluent3 months ago

Location

Remote, United States

Workplace

Remote

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 235,700 – 277,000

Level

Staff

Role

Staff Software Engineer

Posted

Dec 8, 2025

Full TimeRemoteStaff

The role

Summary

Confluent is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to build Kora Storage, a next-generation managed storage service for their data streaming platform. This role focuses on designing and developing highly available, scalable storage engines while providing technical leadership and mentoring junior engineers in a collaborative, remote-first environment.

What you'll do

Storage Engine Development: Design and develop highly available, performant, reliable, durable, scalable, and multi-tenant storage engine for Kora

Engineering Leadership: Set standards for engineering excellence and drive technical solutions end-to-end

Architecture Design: Work closely with team and stakeholders to design, architect, and develop top-notch solutions

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with product management, design, and engineering teams for seamless integration

Technical Advisory: Act as trusted advisor providing guidance on complex technical problems and high-level decision-making

Mentoring: Mentor junior engineers and help shape the direction of the team

Infrastructure Integration: Ensure storage features integrate seamlessly with broader organizational infrastructure

What we look for

Technical

Backend Development9+ years of relevant backend and/or infrastructure development experience

Statically Typed LanguagesExpertise in Java, Scala, C/C++, Go or other statically typed languages

Distributed Storage SystemsProven experience designing and building large-scale, distributed storage systems

Distributed Systems ConceptsDeep knowledge of fault tolerance, consistency, and scalability

Systems UnderstandingSolid understanding at systems level including disk, network, operating systems

Education

Computer Science DegreeBS, MS, or PhD in computer science or related field, or equivalent work experience

Experience

Leadership ExperienceStrong leadership skills with demonstrated ability to mentor and guide engineers

Communication SkillsExcellent communication and collaboration skills with ability to influence stakeholders at all levels

Senior Engineering Role9+ years of progressive experience in backend and infrastructure development

Skills

Required skills

Java/Scala/C++/GoExpertise in statically typed programming languages for systems development

Distributed Storage SystemsProven experience designing and building large-scale storage architectures

Systems ProgrammingDeep understanding of disk, network, and operating system fundamentals

Leadership and MentoringStrong leadership skills with ability to mentor and guide engineering teams

Technical CommunicationExcellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder influence

Nice to have

Apache KafkaExperience with Apache Kafka distributed event streaming platform

Apache IcebergFamiliarity with Apache Iceberg open table format

Apache FlinkExperience with Apache Flink stream processing framework

Cloud PlatformsExperience developing SaaS services on AWS, Azure, or GCP

Multi-tenant ArchitectureExpertise in building and operating modern cloud-based infrastructure

Technical EvangelismInterest in giving tech talks and writing technical blog posts

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 235,700 – 277,000 (annual)

Benefits

Remote Work

Fully remote position with flexible work arrangements across time zones

Equal Opportunity

Inclusive workplace with employment decisions based on job-related criteria

Professional Growth

Opportunities to lead, grow, and challenge what's possible in data streaming

Conference Speaking

Support for evangelism activities including tech conferences and blog writing

Collaborative Environment

Work with passionate engineers solving complex distributed systems problems

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with recruiter to discuss background and role fit
2
Technical Phone Interview — Technical discussion covering distributed systems concepts and past experience
3
System Design Interview — Design session focused on large-scale storage system architecture
4
Coding Interview — Programming assessment in preferred language (Java/Scala/C++/Go)
5
Leadership Interview — Behavioral interview focusing on mentoring experience and technical leadership
6
Final Round — Meet with senior engineering leadership and potential team members