Cloud Native Software Engineer - Kafka & Kubernetes

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Cloud Native Software Engineer with expertise in Kafka and Kubernetes to join a dynamic IT-OT integration team. This role is part of a broader initiative to modernize and enhance critical infrastructure systems, including the replacement of a core EMS/SCADA system and the development of a cutting-edge integration platform bridging operational technology (OT) and IT environments.

• Design, develop, and maintain robust Java and/or Python applications with a strong focus on performance, reliability, security, observability, and scalability.
• Containerize and deploy workloads to Kubernetes clusters, adhering to best practices for CI/CD, monitoring, and fault tolerance.
• Implement comprehensive test coverage, including unit, integration, and system tests to ensure code quality and stability.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues identified during testing or in production, with a focus on root cause analysis and sustainable solutions.
• Continuously improve codebases, deployment pipelines, and development practices through proactive contributions.
• Engage in design discussions, code reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions to foster a collaborative engineering culture.
• Participate in a rotating on-call schedule (approximately once every two months) to support mission-critical services outside regular hours.

• Proven experience in developing and operating production-grade backend applications, preferably in Java or Python.
• Strong understanding of cloud-native design principles, distributed systems, and microservice architectures.
• Hands-on experience deploying containerized applications on Kubernetes in production environments (required).
• Proficiency with streaming platforms such as Apache Kafka (required), and familiarity with stream processing frameworks like Apache Flink, Kafka Streams, or Apache Beam.
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code tools and CI/CD pipelines (e.g., ArgoCD, Terraform, Tekton, GitHub Actions), as well as modern DevOps practices (e.g., GitOps, observability, auto-scaling).
• Familiarity with cloud object storage solutions (e.g., MinIO, S3) and modern databases (e.g., MongoDB, PostgreSQL, TimescaleDB).
• Bonus points for experience with data-intensive applications, including time-series data, analytics, or real-time processing.
• Comfortable working in agile, cross-functional teams and taking ownership throughout the software development lifecycle.
• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset; fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Dutch or German is a plus.
• Willingness to participate in a night-time on-call rotation (approximately once every two months) to support critical systems.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical field such as Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or Computer Science.