Senior Kong Middleware Engineer​/Kong Lead | FourWays Consulting | Fort Mill, SC​/Austin, TX

Job Title:

Senior Kong Middleware Engineer / Kong Lead | Four Ways Consulting | Fort Mill, SC / Austin, TX
Recruiting Company:
Four Ways Consulting

Job Location:

Fort Mill, South Carolina OR Austin, Texas
Job Type: Full-Time, On-site/Hybrid
Application Method:
Send resume to
Industry: API Management / Cloud / Middleware Engineering

💡 This senior‑level role is designed for an expert in Kong API Gateway who can architect, enhance, and lead API management solutions in a complex, cloud‑native environment. As a Kong Lead, you will shape API strategy, security, performance, and platform scalability across AWS‑based systems. Your contributions will directly strengthen backend efficiency, integration frameworks, and enterprise digital services.

As the Senior Kong Middleware Engineer, you will lead the design, deployment, and operationalization of Kong API Gateway across distributed cloud environments. You will work closely with engineering, Dev Ops, and security teams to implement APIs, enforce security standards, and optimize traffic flows. This role requires deep hands‑on expertise in AWS services, Kubernetes, CI/CD automation, and Lua‑based plugin customization. You will also act as the Kong SME, guiding architectural decisions, platform improvements, and best‑practice governance for API lifecycle management.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone ready to lead high‑impact middleware initiatives in a modern microservices ecosystem.

• ✓ Lead the implementation, configuration, and administration of Kong API Gateway.
• ✓ Design and optimize API security, authentication, rate‑limiting, and traffic policies.
• ✓ Build and maintain API proxies, plugins (Lua), and middleware integrations.
• ✓ Drive AWS‑based architecture for scalable API deployments.
• ✓ Implement CI/CD automation for API lifecycle management.
• ✓ Support microservices deployed on Kubernetes environments.
• ✓ Collaborate with backend, Dev Ops, and security teams on API standards and best practices.
• ✓ Troubleshoot performance issues and enhance API reliability and observability.

• ✓ 8+ years experience in API engineering, backend development, or middleware platforms.
• ✓ Minimum 2+ years hands‑on expertise with Kong Gateway.
• ✓ Strong proficiency with AWS services for API hosting and infrastructure.
• ✓ Experience with API security, tokens, gateways, and authentication standards.
• ✓ Hands‑on experience with CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, Git Hub Actions, Git Lab CI, etc.).
• ✓ Strong Kubernetes experience for containerized API deployments.
• ✓ Proficiency in Lua for building or customizing Kong plugins.
• ✓ Strong debugging, architecture, and performance optimization skills.

• ✓ Experience with Kong Enterprise features (Dev Portal, Analytics, RBAC).
• ✓ Knowledge of service mesh (e.g., Kuma or Istio).
• ✓ Familiarity with Terraform or IaC for API gateway provisioning.
• ✓ Exposure to large‑scale or multi‑cluster API environments.
• ✓ Background in financial, telecom, or large enterprise systems.

Emphasize real‑world examples where you designed Kong‑based API solutions—especially custom Lua plugins, high‑volume gateways, or AWS‑integrated API architectures. Demonstrating leadership and hands‑on expertise with Kong will significantly boost your chances.