Senior Product Manager

Description

Confluent is pioneering a fundamentally new category of data infrastructure focused on data in motion. Have you ever found a new favourite series on Netflix, picked up groceries curbside at Walmart, or paid for something using Square? That’s the power of data in motion in action—giving organisations instant access to the massive amounts of data that is constantly flowing throughout their business. At Confluent, we’re building the foundational platform for this new paradigm of data infrastructure. Our cloud-native offering is designed to be the intelligent connective tissue enabling real-time data, from multiple sources, to constantly stream across the organisation. With Confluent, organisations can create a central nervous system to innovate and win in a digital-first world.

We’re looking for self-motivated team members who crave a challenge and feel energised to roll up their sleeves and help realise Confluent’s enormous potential. Chart your own path and take healthy risks as we solve big problems together. We value having diverse teams and want you to grow as we grow—whether you’re just starting out in your career or managing a large team, you’ll be amazed at the magnitude of your impact.

About the Role:

Confluent Cloud delivers a complete end to end streaming experience via a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Confluent is also a major contributor to the Apache Kafka project. We are hiring a Product Manager to improve the customer experience for  Kafka clients  and join our team in advancing real-time event streaming technologies. A successful candidate will collaborate closely with customers, internal stakeholders, and the open source community to improve and innovate on the Kafka client protocols and APIs. Your expertise and vision will be instrumental in solidifying Confluent Cloud as the premier destination for deploying Kafka workloads and streaming in general.

What You Will Do:

As a Kafka Core Product Manager, you will be responsible for spearheading initiatives across three primary domains:

• Kafka Technology: Drive the development and enhancement of our state-of-the-art Kafka based protocols both internally and externally. Work within the technology stack and take core features to market. Help decide what features will remain proprietary and what will be donated to open-source.
• Confluent Cloud Evolution: Work with internal stakeholders to understand cross cutting initiatives that require Core Kafka features and prioritization for the long term success and differentiation of Confluent Cloud.
• Open Source Collaboration and Advocacy: Engage with the open source community, fostering a spirit of collaboration, innovation, and growth. Actively participate in industry events, conferences, and forums to maintain a strong presence for Confluent and Apache Kafka in the global ecosystem.

Responsibilities:

• Executing Confluent’s Core Kafka Roadmap with focus on Kafka client protocols and the Client customer experience.
• Developing product and technical specifications for Kafka Client features.
• Working with the broader open-source community on features and requirements.
• Working closely with Customers both for feedback and enablement.
• Educating Confluent’s field and the broader community about new Client features.
• Coordinating multiple teams who are both providers and consumers of our internal services. 

What You Will Bring:

• 2 + years of software, or technical product management experience
• Experience with protocol or API design, deprecation timelines, and new API go-to-market motions.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to empathize with Confluent Cloud Kafka users in order to provide them a great experience.
• Ability to understand and learn new technical concepts quickly.
• Basic understanding of Cloud Infrastructure and services.
• Knowledge of Kafka or other streaming technologies preferred but not required.

What Gives You an Edge: 

The ideal candidate will possess a basic understanding of cloud native distributed systems and will demonstrate product management skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive cross-functional collaboration. If you are passionate about shaping the future of event streaming and have experience working with technical products, protocol design, and API design, we invite you to join our mission to make Confluent Cloud the de facto standard for streaming workloads.

Come As You Are

At Confluent, equality is a core tenet of our culture. We are committed to building an inclusive global team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and experiences. The more diverse we are, the richer our community and the broader our impact. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job-related criteria without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

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