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Forward Deployed Engineer

KongNew Jersey, United StatesAll Cost Center
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Salary
$192,010 - $274,300 USD
Job type
Full-time
Work mode
Remote
Posted
16 Sept 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

The Forward Deployed Engineer position at Kong is a full-time, remote opportunity based in New Jersey that is ideal for experienced technical professionals who enjoy client-facing problem solving and cloud-native architecture. This strategic role empowers enterprise organizations to successfully implement API and AI connectivity platforms through hands-on technical guidance.

Role Overview

As a Forward Deployed Engineer within Kong's Professional Services organization, the individual operates at the intersection of customer delivery, software engineering, and platform architecture. Working directly alongside major enterprise engineering teams, the role focuses on accelerating migrations, building custom automation, and implementing production-grade solutions for modern cloud environments. Team members collaborate closely with internal product, engineering, and customer success groups to ensure client success while feeding real-world field insights back into product development.

Key Responsibilities

Partner directly with enterprise clients to design, build, and implement Kong solutions across cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments.
Lead hands-on execution for API gateways, AI gateways, service mesh, and developer portal technologies.
Build automation frameworks, migration tooling, custom integrations, and reusable accelerators to streamline client modernization.
Drive complex migration initiatives transitioning legacy API management platforms to Kong.
Collaborate with customer developers, platform teams, architects, and executives to resolve technical and operational roadblocks.
Write production-grade code, scripts, plugins, CI/CD integrations, and Kubernetes automation during client engagements.
Establish reusable best practices, reference architectures, technical documentation, and design patterns for the organization.
Support strategic initiatives centered on AI connectivity, platform governance, and cloud-native transformation.

Requirements

8+ years of professional background in customer-facing engineering, platform engineering, professional services, site reliability engineering, or software engineering.
Strong practical experience in software engineering and technical implementation.
Familiarity with API gateways, API management, integrations, or distributed systems.
Solid expertise in Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure.
Demonstrated capability in building automation frameworks, deployment tooling, CI/CD pipelines, or migration utilities.
Proficiency in Linux, networking, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps methodologies.
Hands-on background with major public cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
Programming capabilities in languages including Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, or Lua.
Experience utilizing Infrastructure-as-Code and automation tools like Terraform, Helm, Ansible, or GitOps frameworks.

Nice to Have

Previous work history within API management, open-source software, middleware, SaaS, or infrastructure software organizations.

Skills and Tools

Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, Lua
AWS, GCP, Azure
Kubernetes, Linux, networking
Terraform, Helm, Ansible, GitOps
CI/CD pipelines and migration tooling
API and AI gateways

Salary and Benefits

Annual Salary Range: $192,010 to $274,300 USD per year

About the Company

Kong, develops the foundational connectivity layer for artificial intelligence. Trusted by prominent Fortune 500 enterprises and AI startups alike, Kong delivers a unified platform that allows organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize data and AI traffic across any model or cloud environment.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their application directly through the official Kong careers page to be considered for this role.

Skills and tech stack

PythonAWSGCPAzureKubernetesJavaScriptJavaTerraform

Questions candidates ask

What is the salary range for the Forward Deployed Engineer role?

The annual salary ranges from $192,010 to $274,300 USD.

Is this position remote?

Yes, this is a remote position located in New Jersey, United States.

How many years of experience are required?

Candidates must have 8+ years of experience in customer-facing engineering, platform engineering, professional services, site reliability engineering, or software engineering.

What programming languages are needed?

Programming experience is required in languages such as Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, or Lua.

What cloud platforms and tools are utilized?

The role involves working with AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Linux, and Infrastructure-as-Code tools like Terraform, Helm, Ansible, and GitOps frameworks.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Kong careers page.

Apply on company site