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.
Kong is building the future of API and AI infrastructure. Our platform powers connectivity for thousands of organizations globally across APIs, microservices, Kubernetes and now AI agents and LLM-driven applications.
About The Role:
We’re looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join Kong’s Office of the CTO team and work on special, high-impact projects that influence the direction of our platform and engineering strategy. The Office of the CTO (OCTO) is where Kong’s most ambitious and exploratory engineering work happens, new platforms, foundational systems and high-impact technical bets that shape the company’s future.
You’ll work on everything from distributed database provisioning and durable workflow orchestration to LLM fine-tuning and infrastructure for our AI Builder capabilities, helping define a new foundation for how developers build and run AI-driven systems at scale.
This is a rare opportunity to shape a greenfield AI platform from the ground up, with direct input into architecture, tooling, and developer experience.
This is a role for engineers who enjoy deep technical challenges, ambiguity, and building systems that matter.
What You’ll Do:
Design and build highly scalable distributed backend systems
Develop core services in Golang, with a focus on performance and reliability
Work with PostgreSQL and Redis to build robust, data-intensive systems
Architect systems that operate across microservices, networking layers, and cloud platforms
Collaborate closely with the CTO and senior engineers on strategic technical initiatives
Prototype and productionize new platform capabilities and internal tooling
Influence engineering direction and technical standards across Kong
What You'll bring:
Strong production experience with Golang
Experience designing and operating distributed systems at scale
Solid experience with PostgreSQL and Redis in production environments
Experience building backend systems with high availability, scalability, and reliability
Strong systems thinking, debugging, and performance optimization skills
Bonus points:
Experience with Kubernetes, networking, or API gateways
Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure)
Contributions to open source or internal platform tooling
Experience working on platform, infra, or developer tooling products
#LI-BR2
About Kong:
Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.
Kong San Francisco, California, USA Office
44 Montgomery St, San Francisco, California, United States, 94104 4827
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
