# Senior Software Engineer - AI Gateway

**Company:** [Kong](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/kong)
**Location:** Shanghai, China
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Linux, Distributed Systems, Linux Networking, Computer Systems Programming, Api Management, Load Balancing, Database Systems, Nginx, Openresty, Kong, Luajit, Envoy, Istio, Rust, LLMs
**Posted:** 2026-07-23

> Build and optimize core API gateway and management capabilities, including proxying, load balancing, databases, and integrations. The role requires 5+ years of server-side programming experience, strong Linux and distributed-systems expertise, and familiarity with AI/LLM application development.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Design, build, and maintain API management software and its underlying stack.
- Architect, design, and implement innovative features, including proxying capabilities, load balancing, and database support.
- Troubleshoot bugs, tune performance, and perform low-level optimizations.
- Engage with the open-source community and extend Kong core to support current industry trends.
- Integrate Kong with third-party deployment platforms and tooling.
- Build foundations for other teams and customers.

## Requirements
- 5+ years of programming experience in server-side applications and components.
- Experience designing, prototyping, building, and debugging highly scalable, distributed, reliable, and resilient applications.
- Strong hands-on expertise troubleshooting and profiling Linux systems.
- Experience with distributed systems, the Linux networking stack, and computer systems programming.
- Expertise with APIs over L7 and L4 transports and protocols.
- Comfort working with a remotely distributed team.
- Strong sense of ownership and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Familiarity with AI and large language model concepts and application development.

## Nice-to-haves
- Hands-on experience with NGINX, OpenResty, Kong, or LuaJIT.
- Hands-on experience with Envoy or Istio.
- Hands-on experience with Rust.

## Compensation
- Compensation details were not provided.

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