Senior/Lead Java Developer (Krakow, onsite)

Akvelon is a software engineering company helping enterprise teams turn AI adoption into measurable engineering results: improving productivity, reducing inefficiencies, and moving AI initiatives from experimentation to practical production use. Our teams support large-scale software organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and leading technology platforms, including Microsoft, T-Mobile, Google, Reddit, and GitHub. We bring hands-on experience in building, modernizing, and optimizing complex software systems.

We are looking for a Senior / Lead Software Development Engineer to join the Managed Kafka Connectors initiative. The project focuses on building and improving a managed Kafka connectors ecosystem for cloud data platforms, accelerating onboarding of first-party connectors, and ensuring production readiness across reliability, performance, authentication, and cloud-specific integration requirements.

The role requires strong ownership across implementation, debugging, launch readiness, and operational quality. The engineer will work with Java-based connector workers and core connector logic, Go-based API/service integration layers, and cloud data systems such as BigQuery, Spanner, Bigtable, Iceberg, Debezium, and other source/sink connector workflows.

Requirements:

• Strong Java / JVM engineering experience , including performance-sensitive backend or platform development;
• Strong understanding of distributed systems and reliability principles;
• Practical experience with Kafka / Kafka Connect ecosystem , connector-based systems, or data integration platforms;
• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills across infrastructure, networking, authentication, and runtime behavior;
• Experience with build systems, dependency management, and large codebases;
• Experience working with cloud infrastructure , preferably GCP or similar cloud environments;
• Strong engineering ownership: ability to drive delivery, quality, launch readiness, and operational improvements.

Nice to Have:

• Practical Go backend/service development experience for API-facing changes and service integration;
• Experience with Apache Iceberg, Debezium, CDC systems, or source/sink connector integrations;
• Experience with cloud data systems such as BigQuery, Spanner, Bigtable, Iceberg, or Debezium-based workflows;
• Experience with SRE / operational readiness , including monitoring, probers, load testing, playbooks, and launch reviews;
• Experience with OSS or large-scale platform engineering;
• Strong GCP infrastructure experience.

Working Conditions:

• Priority location: Krakow, Poland (or relocation to Krakow from another city);
• Candidate should be ready to relocate to Krakow if not already based there;
• Office presence is expected several times per week / potentially up to 5 days per week;
• Required overlap: until 10 AM PST .

We can offer B2B/self-employment/Incubator options with benefits:

• Training & Development: conferences, certifications, professional training, seminars, mentoring, internal courses, and books.
• Language Support: English lessons with in-company teachers (or partial coverage for external courses), local language courses.
• Hardware: all necessary equipment provided or compensation for using personal devices.
• Legal Support: lawyer consultations available in every office.
• Health & Wellness: Premium Pack health insurance and monthly fitness compensation via MultiSport Light 8.
• Vacation: 20 working days, or 26 working days after 10+ years of work experience.
• Company Culture: monthly office activities, team buildings, corporate parties, open communication, and work-life balance.

,[Accelerate onboarding of new first-party managed Kafka connectors;, Improve connector quality, reliability, and operational readiness;, Investigate and resolve connector behavior issues related to performance, stability, authentication, networking, and platform compatibility;, Implement Java-based changes in connector workers and connector logic;, Implement Go-based API/service integration changes where needed;, Translate connector behavior and technical limitations into implementation details, UI requirements, and documentation inputs;, Support launch gates, including probers, load testing, operational playbooks, launch reviews, and readiness checks;, Work with platform, infrastructure, and product stakeholders to prepare connectors for production launch.] Requirements: Java, Kafka, GCP, Golang Additionally: English lessons, Multisport, Healthcare and insurance for spouse family, Certificates.