# Forward Deployed Engineer

**Company:** [Kong](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/kong)
**Location:** Remote
**Role:** Solutions Architecture
**Salary:** $133k – $190k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Kubernetes, AWS, Azure, GCP, Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, Lua, Terraform, Helm, Ansible, CI/CD, Linux, Networking
**Posted:** 2026-05-15

> Customer-facing engineering role implementing Kong's API and AI connectivity platform. Works hands-on with enterprise clients on migrations, automation, Kubernetes, and cloud-native solutions while influencing product direction.

## Job Description

## What You’ll Do
- Partner directly with enterprise customers to design, build, and implement Kong-based solutions across cloud, hybrid, and on-premise environments.
- Lead hands-on implementation efforts for API gateways, AI gateways, service mesh, developer portals, and related connectivity technologies.
- Build automation frameworks, migration tooling, custom integrations, and reusable accelerators to simplify customer adoption and modernization efforts.
- Drive migration initiatives from legacy API management platforms to Kong.
- Work closely with customer developers, platform teams, architects, security teams, and executives to solve complex technical and operational challenges.
- Develop production-grade code, scripts, plugins, CI/CD integrations, Kubernetes automation, and infrastructure tooling as part of customer engagements.
- Collaborate with Kong Product and Engineering teams to influence roadmap priorities based on real-world customer feedback and implementation learnings.
- Create reusable best practices, technical assets, reference architectures, documentation, and design patterns to scale delivery excellence across the organization.
- Support strategic customer initiatives involving AI connectivity, governance, platform modernization, and cloud-native transformation.

## What You’ll Bring
- 8+ years in customer-facing engineering, platform engineering, professional services, site reliability engineering, or software engineering roles.
- Strong hands-on software engineering and implementation experience.
- Experience with API gateways, API management, integrations, or distributed systems platforms.
- Strong Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure expertise.
- Experience building automation frameworks, deployment tooling, CI/CD pipelines, or migration tooling.
- Strong proficiency in Linux, networking, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps practices.
- Experience with major cloud providers including AWS, Azure, or GCP.
- Programming experience in languages such as Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, or Lua.
- Experience with Infrastructure-as-Code and automation tooling such as Terraform, Helm, Ansible, or GitOps frameworks.
- Prior experience working in API Management, Open Source, Middleware, SaaS, or Infrastructure software companies is highly preferred.

## Preferred Attributes
- Strong builder mindset with the ability to solve complex technical problems with minimal supervision.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving enterprise environments.
- Passion for working directly with customers and delivering measurable business outcomes.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and executive audiences.
- Highly organized with strong prioritization and execution skills.
- Passion for innovation, modern infrastructure, APIs, AI, and cloud-native technologies.
- Team-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.

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**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/aba72191-3f29-49b5-b1b7-4e01c24cb97b
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/aba72191-3f29-49b5-b1b7-4e01c24cb97b