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Backend Developer (ELK/Kafka Data Engineer) Location: Scott AFB, IL (Onsite)
Clearance Required: Secret Clearance Employment Type: Contract (Long-Term)
Certification Requirement: Security+ certification required within 14 days of start Overview
We are seeking a Backend Developer/Data Software Engineer with experience in Elasticsearch, Kafka, and modern data engineering practices to support a large-scale modernization effort focused on improving operational visibility, connectivity, and decision-making across critical network environments.
This role will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing secure, scalable data integration solutions while supporting real-time analytics, monitoring, and visualization capabilities. The ideal candidate has experience working with streaming data architectures, cloud-native technologies, distributed systems, and enterprise data platforms. This position is fully onsite and candidates must be able to commute to Scott AFB, IL. Key Responsibilities
Design, develop, and maintain scalable data pipelines and backend services for processing large and complex datasets.
Build and support data integration solutions using Confluent Kafka, Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana.
Develop ETL/ELT pipelines to ingest, transform, and integrate data from multiple enterprise systems.
Create and optimize data lake and data warehouse solutions that support analytics, reporting, and operational dashboards.
Develop APIs and backend services using Python, Java, SQL, JavaScript, and related technologies.
Support visualization platforms and dashboards utilizing Kibana, HTML, JavaScript, and React-based technologies.
Manage deployments within AWS cloud environments and OpenShift/Kubernetes platforms.
Automate data ingestion, cleansing, validation, monitoring, and deployment processes through CI/CD pipelines.
Optimize platform performance, including data ingestion throughput, indexing strategies, query performance, storage utilization, and cluster stability.
Troubleshoot issues related to data processing, infrastructure, performance, and system integrations.
Collaborate closely with engineers, analysts, architects, and stakeholders to deliver secure and reliable data solutions.
Produce technical documentation, integration designs, interface documentation, test plans, and operational procedures.
Utilize Agile methodologies and tools such as Jira and Confluence throughout the software development lifecycle. Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline and at least 2 years of relevant experience through professional work, internships, or academic projects.
Experience developing APIs and backend services.
Strong experience with:
Confluent Kafka
Elasticsearch / Elastic Stack (ELK)
SQL
Python
JavaScript
Java
Experience building and supporting ETL/ELT pipelines and enterprise data integration solutions.
Knowledge of distributed data architectures and data lake implementations.
Experience with AWS services such as EC2, S3, Lambda, IAM, Kinesis, and CloudWatch.
Experience working in Kubernetes or OpenShift environments.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, Infrastructure as Code, containerization, and DevOps practices.
Experience with Git, Bitbucket, or other distributed version control systems.
Understanding of data governance, metadata management, and data quality frameworks.
Knowledge of network security, encryption methods, and access control concepts.
Experience working within Agile development environments.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively with geographically distributed teams.
Active Secret Clearance. Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting Department of Defense or highly regulated environments.
Familiarity with compliance frameworks including RMF and STIG requirements.
Experience with:
Spark
Hadoop
NiFi
Databricks
ELK Stack
Big Data platforms
Knowledge of cybersecurity analytics, observability platforms, or incident response systems.
Experience with monitoring tools such as Prometheus and Grafana.
Cloud platform experience with AWS, Azure, GCP, or GovCloud environments.
Experience developing technical runbooks and operational documentation.
Certified Confluent Developer and/or Certified Elastic Engineer certifications. Top Skills
Elasticsearch / ELK Stack
Kafka / Confluent Kafka
API Development
Python
SQL
JavaScript
Java
ETL Development
CI/CD Pipelines
AWS
Kubernetes / OpenShift Why Join?
This modernization initiative focuses on improving mission effectiveness by reducing system downtime, accelerating connectivity for operational teams, and delivering timely, accurate information through advanced data integration and visualization capabilities. The work directly supports the development of scalable analytics platforms that enable faster decision-making and improved operational awareness.