Design, configure, and support APIs on the KONG platform, implement API security (OAuth2/OpenID Connect/JWT), manage API lifecycle and migrations, troubleshoot gateway and performance issues, monitor usage, support CI/CD deployments, and collaborate with development, platform, and security teams.
KONG API Management (APIM) Engineer:
Location
Local to Chicago is preferred (hybrid/on-site as required)
Experience Requirements
Total Experience: 8+ years in software engineering, integration, or platform engineering roles
KONG / API Management Experience: 1–2 years of hands-on experience with KONG API Management
Roles and Responsibilities
Design, configure, and support APIs using the KONG API Management platform, including gateway routing, plugins, and policy configurations.
Provide hands-on implementation and operational support for RESTful APIs and JSON-based integrations.
Implement and manage API security using OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and related authentication and authorization mechanisms.
Support API lifecycle management, including onboarding, versioning, documentation, and deprecation.
Participate in APIM migration initiatives, including assessment, planning, and execution of migrations from legacy or alternate API management platforms to KONG.
Collaborate with application development, platform, and security teams to onboard APIs and ensure adherence to enterprise standards.
Troubleshoot and resolve API gateway, performance, security, and connectivity issues across development, test, and production environments.
Monitor API traffic, usage, and performance metrics and proactively identify and remediate issues.
Support CI/CD pipelines for API and gateway configuration deployments, where applicable.
Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and technical discussions related to API and integration architecture.
Develop and maintain technical documentation and provide knowledge transfer to support teams.
Operate with minimal supervision while contributing to continuous improvement of the APIM platform.
Must-Have Technology Stack
KONG API Management Platform (hands-on configuration and support)
RESTful API design and development
JSON-based integrations
OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect authentication frameworks.
API security concepts (JWT, token validation, rate limiting)
API lifecycle management
Version control systems (Git or equivalent)
Nice-to-Have Technology Stack
Experience with APIM migration projects.
Docker and Kubernetes exposure
CI/CD tools for API deployment and configuration
Cloud platform experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
Monitoring and logging tools used in API ecosystems.
Familiarity with enterprise integration patterns and middleware.
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