1

Kafka Software Engineer Jobs in Silver Spring, MD

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Hyattsville, MD · On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Gaithersburg, MD · On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Rockville, MD · On-site

$87K - $157K/yr

  • Medical

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka * Integrate with Elasticsearch for real ... Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration ...

Software Engineer

Elkridge, MD · On-site

$110 - $170/hr

Job Title| Software Engineer, Graph Systems & Data Visualization Location | Remote (US Only) Time ... Experience with real-time/streaming data infrastructure (such as Kafka, Kinesis, Flink, or Spark)

Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About the Role As a Software Engineer, you will be responsible for working on projects that support ... Kafka * Grails, Groovy * Elasticsearch #LI-CS1 What's in it For You? * Hybrid Work Model: We've ...

Software Engineer

Mclean, VA · Hybrid

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

About the Role As a Software Engineer, you will be responsible for working on projects that support ... Kafka * Grails, Groovy * Elasticsearch #LI-CS1 What's in it For You? * Hybrid Work Model: We've ...

Software Engineer

Columbia, MD · On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

Job Title| Software Engineer, Graph Systems & Data Visualization Location | Remote (US Only) Time ... Kafka, Kinesis, Flink, or Spark) - Strong proficiency in at least one backend language such as ...

Software Engineer

Laurel, MD · On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

Job Title| Software Engineer, Graph Systems & Data Visualization Location | Remote (US Only) Time ... Kafka, Kinesis, Flink, or Spark) - Strong proficiency in at least one backend language such as ...

Software Engineer

Elkridge, MD · On-site

$160K - $200K/yr

Job Title| Software Engineer, Graph Systems & Data Visualization Location | Remote (US Only) Time ... Kafka, Kinesis, Flink, or Spark) - Strong proficiency in at least one backend language such as ...

Lead Principal Software Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$152K - $205K/yr

Lead Principal Software Engineer (Java Spring Boot) Location: Washington, DC Requirement: Client is ... Oversee scalable data modeling, complex SQL optimization, and Kafka platform administration to ...

Showing results 21-40

Kafka Software Engineer information

See Silver Spring, MD salary details

$65.6K

$152.5K

$212.4K

How much do kafka software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for kafka software engineer in Silver Spring, MD is $152,506.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $124,100.00 and $178,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Kafka software engineer?

Kafka Software Engineers are specialized software developers who design, build, and maintain systems that use Apache Kafka, a distributed event streaming platform. They create and manage data pipelines, ensure reliable message delivery, and optimize the performance of applications using Kafka. These engineers often work closely with data engineers, architects, and other developers to enable real-time data processing, analytics, and integration across various systems. Their role is crucial in organizations that rely on high-throughput, fault-tolerant data streams.

What are some common challenges Kafka software engineers face when building scalable streaming applications?

Kafka Software Engineers often encounter challenges related to ensuring high throughput, low latency, and fault tolerance when designing streaming data pipelines. Managing message ordering, handling data schema evolution, and optimizing partitioning strategies are critical for maintaining data consistency and performance. Additionally, engineers must monitor cluster health, address issues like consumer lag, and coordinate with DevOps and data engineering teams to ensure seamless integration with other systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Kafka software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Kafka Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in Java, Scala, or Python), a solid understanding of distributed systems, and experience with Apache Kafka architecture and stream processing. Familiarity with tools like Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, Zookeeper, and containerization platforms, along with certifications such as Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka, are highly valued. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills help you design scalable solutions and collaborate across engineering teams. These technical and interpersonal skills are critical to building reliable, high-throughput data pipelines and ensuring seamless real-time data flow in modern applications.

Do Kafka Software Engineers use Kafka?

Yes, Kafka Software Engineers use Apache Kafka as a core part of their work to develop, maintain, and optimize data streaming applications. Proficiency with Kafka, including topics like producers, consumers, and cluster management, is essential for this role. They often work with related tools and programming languages such as Java or Python to build scalable data pipelines.

Is Apache Kafka in demand?

Apache Kafka is highly in demand for roles like Kafka Software Engineer due to its widespread use in real-time data streaming and event-driven architectures. Professionals skilled in Kafka, along with related tools like Apache Spark or Kafka Connect, are sought after in industries such as finance, technology, and telecommunications, reflecting strong job market growth for Kafka expertise.

What are popular job titles related to Kafka Software Engineer jobs in Silver Spring, MD?

For Kafka Software Engineer jobs in Silver Spring, MD, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Kafka Software Engineer jobs in Silver Spring, MD look for?

The top searched job categories for Kafka Software Engineer jobs in Silver Spring, MD are:

Infographic showing various Kafka Software Engineer job openings in Silver Spring, MD as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $152,506 per year, or $73.3 per hour.

Software Engineer

Leidos

Bethesda, MD • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 20 days ago


Leidos rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 152 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

79th of 492 rated business services


Job description

Are you ready to join Leidos all-star team? Through training, teamwork, and exposure to challenging technical work, let Leidos show how to accelerate your career path.
Leidos has an exciting opening for you as our next TS/SCI cleared Software Engineer supporting a long-term DIA-NDOC DOMEX Technology Platform (DTP) contract. You will work closely with Systems Engineers, Software Engineers, Architects, and Operations Engineering/Manager on a broad scope of activities extending across the development of systems to include middle-tier and backend engineering tasks. Have impact as part of a mission focused, solutions oriented, and adaptive team that values innovation, collaboration, and professional development. While most work is conducted on-site at our client location in Bethesda, MD, we offer a flexible schedule and, occasionally, some tasks may be performed remotely. The percentage of remote work will vary based on client requirements/deliverables.
Specifically, we are looking for a skilled Python developer to join our team to build and maintain scalable microservices that interface with Kafka for real-time messaging and Elasticsearch for data indexing and search. You'll deploy and monitor your services in a Kubernetes environment and collaborate with cross-functional teams in designing reliable, observable, and secure systems. Our client's overall mission is to design and implement a data centric architecture that leverages cloud-based computing, artificial intelligence (Al), machine learning (ML) and cross-domain transfer systems.
You will work closely with the team on the following key tasks
  • Design, develop, test, and maintain Python microservices
  • Implement message consumers and producers with Apache Kafka
  • Integrate with Elasticsearch for real-time and batch data indexing and querying
  • Write unit and integration tests; ensure high code coverage and reliability
  • Build CI/CD pipelines for your services and deploy them in Kubernetes clusters
  • Participate in design discussions, code reviews, and architecture planning
  • Monitor and troubleshoot production issues with observability tools
  • Contribute to technical documentation and knowledge sharing within the team
  • Utilizes software engineering and design methodologies appropriate to the development, integration, and production environment
  • Foster an environment of collaboration with the different team members in the goal of providing quality service and product to our customers

To be successful in this role you need these skills (required):
  • Bachelor's Degree and 4-8 years of prior relevant experience or Masters with 2-6 years of prior relevant experience
  • Must possess an Active Top Secret/SCI clearance and ability to obtain and maintain a Polygraph
  • Proficiency in Python and related backend frameworks (e.g., FastAPI, Flask).
  • Experience with containerization, especially with Docker
  • Experience in Extraction, Transformation, and Load (ETL)
  • Hands-on development experience in a Linux environment including bash or bash-like scripting
  • Strong understanding of RESTful APIs and microservice architecture
  • Hands-on experience with Kubernetes: deploying, monitoring, and debugging services
  • Understanding of common design patterns, security practices, and logging/monitoring principles
  • Familiarity with Git and collaborative workflows (PRs, reviews)
  • Experience with DevOps practices and tools including Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) tools and practices, especially Gitlab or Jenkins
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Experience with AGILE practices
  • Enthusiastic with the ability to work well in a team and a self-starter who can work on their own

You will wow us even more if you have some of these skills:
  • Experience with designing and implementing software development kits
  • Familiarity DGX (Deep GPU Xceleration)
  • Active Security+ certification and ability to obtain Privileged User Account (PUA) certification by the Government
  • Elasticsearch certifications or other program stack related certifications
  • Experience of a production/enterprise systems at scale
  • Knowledge of distributed systems concepts (e.g., idempotency, eventual consistency)
  • Familiarity with schema registries and Kafka streaming patterns
  • Experience blending analytical methodologies and leveraging existing COTS/GOTS/OS tools in an unconventional manner.
  • Experience with Amazon Web Services (AWS/C2S)
  • Familiarity or experience with building applications around Large Language Models, Agentic AI

#NMECDTP-Leidos
#ASBA
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
July 6, 2026
For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $87,100.00 - $157,450.00
The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

What Leidos employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Leidos logo

About Leidos

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers' success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainable practices. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

Industry

It services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Reston, VA, US

Social media