PepsiCo

Overview

PepsiCo Data BI & Integration Platforms is seeking a Confluent Kafka Platform technology leader, responsible for overseeing the deployment, and maintenance of on-premises and cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure) for its North America PepsiCo Foods/Beverages business.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in managing and maintaining Confluent Kafka platforms, ensuring system stability, security, and optimal performance with Azure/AWS services – Infrastructure as Code (IaC), platform provisioning & administration, cloud network design, cloud security principles and automation.

Responsibilities

Kafka platform administration

• In-depth knowledge of Apache Kafka and the Confluent Platform.
• Experience with Kafka Streams, Kafka Connect, and Schema Registry.
• Familiarity with Confluent Control Center and other Confluent tools.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and automation tools (e.g., Jenkins, Azure DevOps).
• Monitoring system health and performance, identifying and resolving issues, and ensuring smooth operation of business processes.
• Tuning system parameters, optimizing resource utilization, and ensuring the efficient operation of applications.
• Implement and maintain security protocols for Kafka, including SSL/TLS encryption, Kerberos, and role-based access control (RBAC).
• Manage Kafka Connect for integrating data from various sources and optimize Kafka Streams applications for real-time data processing.
• Collaborating with development, QA, and other teams to resolve technical issues and ensure seamless integration of applications.
• Developing scripts and automating tasks for administration and maintenance purposes.

Cloud Infrastructure & Automation

• Implement cloud infrastructure policies, standards, and best practices, ensuring cloud environment adherence to security and regulatory requirements.
• Design, deploy and optimize cloud-based infrastructure using Azure/AWS services that meet the performance, availability, scalability, and reliability needs of our applications and services.
• Drive troubleshooting of cloud infrastructure issues, ensuring timely resolution and root cause analysis by partnering with global cloud center of excellence & enterprise application teams, and PepsiCo premium cloud partners (Microsoft, AWS, Confluent).
• Establish and maintain effective communication and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, including business leaders, developers, customers, and vendors.
• Develop Infrastructure as Code (IaC) to automate provisioning and management of cloud resources. Write and maintain scripts for automation and deployment using PowerShell, Python, or Azure/AWS CLI.
• Work with stakeholders to document architectures, configurations, and best practices.
• Knowledge of cloud security principles around data protection, identity and access Management (IAM), compliance and regulatory, threat detection and prevention, disaster recovery and business continuity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science.
• At least 6 to 8 years of experience in IT cloud infrastructure, architecture and operations, including security, with at least 4 years in a technical leadership role.
• Deep understanding of Kafka architecture, including brokers, topics, partitions, replicas, and security.
• Experience with installing, configuring, and maintaining Kafka clusters.
• Proficiency in data streaming concepts and tools.
• Knowledge of monitoring tools like Prometheus, Grafana, or similar.
• Familiarity with Kafka security best practices (SSL, SASL, ACLs).
• Proficiency in languages like Java, Scala, or Python.
• Strong knowledge of cloud architecture, design, and deployment principles and practices, including microservices, serverless, containers, and DevOps.
• Strong expertise in Azure/AWS messaging technologies, real time data ingestion, data warehouses, serverless ETL, DevOps, Kubernetes, virtual machines, monitoring and security tools.
• Strong expertise in Azure/AWS networking and security fundamentals, including network endpoints & network security groups, firewalls, external/internal DNS, load balancers, virtual networks and subnets.
• Proficient in scripting and automation tools, such as PowerShell, Python, Terraform, and Ansible.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Certifications in Azure/AWS platform administration, networking and security are preferred.
• Strong self-organization, time management and prioritization skills
• A high level of attention to detail, excellent follow through, and reliability
• Strong collaboration, teamwork and relationship building skills across multiple levels and functions in the organization
• Ability to listen, establish rapport, and credibility as a strategic partner vertically within the business unit or function, as well as with leadership and functional teams
• Strategic thinker focused on business value results that utilize technical solutions
• Strong communication skills in writing, speaking, and presenting
• Capable to work effectively in a multi-tasking environment.
• Fluent in English language.