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Kafka Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

PhoenixTeam

Kafka Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$100K - $130K/yr

Overview The Kafka Engineer / Administrator / Developer is a key member of the program technical team, supporting large-scale data streaming, system integration, and platform modernization ...

PhoenixTeam

Kafka Engineer

Arlington, VA · Remote

$100K - $130K/yr

Overview The Kafka Engineer / Administrator / Developer is a key member of the program technical team, supporting large-scale data streaming, system integration, and platform modernization ...

Macro Solutions

Java Kafka Developer (Hybrid)

Ashburn, VA · Hybrid

$52.25 - $67.50/hr

Java Kafka Developer - Full-Time Ashburn, VA (Hybrid - 1 to 2 days onsite / 3 to 4 days remote) Must be a U.S. Citizen and currently reside in the Metro Washington, D.C. area We have an immediate ...

CDIT LLC

Java/Kafka Developer

Ashburn, VA · On-site

$52.25 - $67.50/hr

... Engineering, Information Management Systems or a related discipline. * Equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of degree Desired: * Direct experience with Confluent Kafka.

Purple Drive Technologies

Kafka Architect

Mclean, VA · On-site

Collaborate with data engineering, DevOps, and application teams to integrate Kafka into broader enterprise systems. * Monitor and troubleshoot Kafka environments using tools like Grafana, Prometheus ...

Apex Systems

Integration Platform Engineer

Richmond, VA

$102K - $138K/yr

... Kafka, ActiveMQ, RabbitMQ, Amazon MQ, Amazon MSK). Support modernization of legacy middleware ... Support SRE practices including SLOs/SLIs, error budgets, and blameless incident reviews. Implement ...

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All JobsKafka Engineer JobsKafka Engineer Jobs in Virginia

Kafka Engineer information

See Virginia salary details

$38.7K

$100.9K

$136.3K

How much do kafka engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for kafka engineer in Virginia is $100,879.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $83,300.00 and $115,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Kafka Engineer typically collaborate with development and operations teams?

Kafka Engineers play a key role in bridging the gap between development and operations teams. They work closely with developers to design and implement event-driven architectures using Kafka, ensuring data flows reliably between services. Simultaneously, they partner with operations teams to deploy, monitor, and maintain Kafka clusters, addressing issues like scalability, fault tolerance, and security. Effective communication and a strong understanding of both software development and infrastructure are essential for success in this collaborative environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Kafka Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Kafka Engineer, you need a strong understanding of distributed systems, proficiency in Apache Kafka, and experience with programming languages like Java or Python, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, monitoring systems (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana), and relevant certifications like Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka are typically required. Problem-solving skills, effective communication, and the ability to work collaboratively make someone stand out in this position. These skills and qualities are crucial to ensure reliable data pipelines, seamless integration, and efficient troubleshooting in mission-critical, real-time data environments.

What does a Kafka Engineer do?

A Kafka Engineer specializes in designing, building, and maintaining distributed data streaming systems using Apache Kafka. They are responsible for configuring Kafka clusters, ensuring data reliability and scalability, and integrating Kafka with other systems. Kafka Engineers also monitor system performance, troubleshoot issues, and optimize data pipelines to support real-time data processing needs. Their work is essential for organizations that rely on high-throughput, low-latency data streaming for applications such as analytics, event sourcing, and microservices architectures.

What is the difference between Kafka Engineer vs Data Engineer?

AspectKafka EngineerData Engineer
Required CredentialsCertifications in Kafka, cloud platforms, programming languagesCertifications in data tools, cloud, SQL, programming
Work EnvironmentFocus on Kafka setup, streaming data, real-time processingBroader data pipeline, storage, and processing tasks
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, data-driven organizations using KafkaVarious industries managing large data systems
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for specialization in streaming dataBroader role encompassing multiple data technologies

The Kafka Engineer specializes in designing, implementing, and maintaining Kafka-based streaming data systems, focusing on real-time data processing. In contrast, Data Engineers work on building comprehensive data pipelines, integrating various data sources, and managing storage solutions. While Kafka Engineers focus on Kafka-specific tasks, Data Engineers handle a wider range of data tools and platforms, making their roles complementary but distinct in data infrastructure teams.

What are popular job titles related to Kafka Engineer jobs in Virginia? For Kafka Engineer jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Kafka Engineer jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Kafka Engineer jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Kafka Engineer jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Kafka Engineer job openings:
Kafka Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Kafka Engineer job openings in Virginia as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 79% Physical, 8% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $100,879 per year, or $48.5 per hour.
Kafka Engineer

Kafka Engineer

PhoenixTeam

Arlington, VA • On-site

$100K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Overview
The Kafka Engineer / Administrator / Developer is a key member of the program technical team, supporting large-scale data streaming, system integration, and platform modernization initiatives. This role is responsible for designing, developing, administering, and optimizing Apache Kafka clusters and event-driven architectures that support high-volume, mission-critical data flows. The Kafka Engineer works closely with Federal Government stakeholders, architects, developers, DevOps teams, API Gateway (APIGW) teams, and backend system owners to ensure reliable, secure, and scalable event streaming pipelines. This role plays a critical part in enabling real-time data integration, microservices communication, and operational resilience across complex enterprise systems.
Key Functions
Kafka Engineering & Administration
  • Design, build, administer, and maintain Kafka clusters across development, test, and production environments.
  • Manage Kafka topics, partitions, brokers, replication, retention policies, and access controls.
  • Monitor Kafka performance, availability, throughput, and latency; proactively identify and resolve issues.
  • Perform capacity planning, tuning, upgrades, patching, and disaster recovery planning for Kafka environments.
  • Implement and maintain high availability and fault-tolerant Kafka configurations.

Event Streaming & Integration
  • Develop and support event streaming pipelines using Kafka for real-time and near-real-time data processing.
  • Integrate Kafka with API Gateway (APIGW)-based microservices and downstream backend systems.
  • Design and implement Kafka producers, consumers, and connectors (e.g., Kafka Connect) to support system integrations and ETL/data movement needs.
  • Collaborate with application teams to define event schemas, topics, and data contracts.
  • Ensure reliable message delivery, data integrity, and error handling across streaming workflows.

Security, Compliance & Operations
  • Implement Kafka security best practices, including authentication, authorization, encryption in transit, and auditing.
  • Ensure Kafka implementations comply with CMS security, data governance, and operational standards.
  • Support DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code approaches where applicable.
  • Participate in incident response, root cause analysis, and operational readiness activities.

Collaboration & Documentation
  • Work closely with architects, developers, DevOps engineers, and system administrators to support solution design and delivery.
  • Document Kafka architectures, configurations, operational procedures, and integration patterns.
  • Provide technical guidance, troubleshooting support, and knowledge transfer to internal teams.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field.
  • 3+ years of experience developing, administering, and supporting Apache Kafka in enterprise environments.
  • Hands-on experience managing Kafka clusters, topics, partitions, and event streaming pipelines.
  • Experience integrating Kafka with microservices, API Gateways (APIGW), and backend systems.
  • Strong understanding of event-driven architectures, messaging patterns, and data streaming concepts.
  • Experience with Linux-based environments and command-line administration.
  • Strong troubleshooting and performance tuning skills.
  • Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience supporting federal healthcare programs.
  • Experience working in Agile, Scrum, and/or DevSecOps environments.
  • Familiarity with cloud-based Kafka deployments (AWS MSK or similar managed Kafka services).
  • Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools.
  • Knowledge of cloud security concepts and secure data transmission.
  • Experience with monitoring tools and observability platforms for Kafka (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, CloudWatch).
  • Familiarity with schema management tools (e.g., Schema Registry).
  • Knowledge of containerized environments and orchestration tools (Docker, Kubernetes) is a plus.

Position Details
  • Employment Type: Full-Time, W2
  • Location: 100% Remote (US-based only)
  • Hours: 40 hours/week, availability during core business hours
  • Start Date: ASAP
  • Eligibility: Must be eligible to obtain a Public Trust clearance
  • Salary: $100,000 - $130,000 (commensurate with experience)

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