Senior Kafka Platform Engineer

Senior Kafka Platform Engineer Zurich Area (Hybrid) | Permanent | Full-time (100%) Are you passionate about event-driven architecture and building high-performance integration platforms that power mission-critical systems? Were looking for a Senior Kafka Platform Engineer to take technical ownership of a modern platform and help shape the future of large-scale system integration. This is a hands-on senior role with real architectural influence, working at the heart of a complex, high-availability environment. What youll be working on Leading the design, implementation, operation & continuous optimisation of event streaming (Kafka) and API management platforms Driving the transition towards a robust event-driven architecture Rolling out a central Kafka platform used across multiple business-critical domains Ensuring scalability, reliability, monitoring and performance of middleware solutions Acting as a technical authority for application integration using messaging & APIs Collaborating closely with internal engineering teams, business stakeholders, and external partners Participating in on-call rotation for platform reliability and operations What you bring University degree (FH or higher) in Computer Science, Business Informatics , or equivalent experience Strong, proven background in designing and operating highly available, high-performance platforms Deep hands-on experience with Kafka / event streaming Experience with API management and integration patterns A mindset that goes beyond implementation — you enjoy driving change and technical evolution Excellent German and fluent business English Open, collaborative personality with strong communication skills Whats in it for you Flexible working hours & hybrid setup (remote + on-site) 5 weeks of vacation , with options to purchase additional days or take unpaid leave Public transport support (local pass / contribution options) Discounts on food & shopping on site Free sports & wellness programs (from boot camp to yoga) + discounted gym membership Strong learning & development support (training budget, internal academy, seminars) Regular team events & long-term recognition A down-to-earth, first-name culture with short decision paths A unique working environment with dynamic surroundings and modern infrastructure Why this role? This is a rare opportunity to: Own and shape a core integration platform Work on large-scale, real-world systems Have architectural influence , not just delivery responsibility Join a stable, forward-thinking engineering environment with long-term vision