Observability Engineer - Network Telemetry Specialist

Primary

Skills:

Java (Expert), Apache Kafka (Expert), PostgreSQL (Expert), Grafana (Expert), Telemetry / Network Observability (Expert)

Contract Type: W2 Only

Duration: 12+ Months

Location: Redwood City, CA (Hybrid, remote  an option with occasional travel)

Pay Range: $90 - $95 on W2

We are seeking a Senior Staff Engineer – NPE Observability to lead the architecture and evolution of a large-scale telemetry and observability platform. This role will drive the technical strategy for real-time data ingestion, streaming, and visualization across a global network infrastructure. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in Java, Kafka, PostgreSQL, Grafana, and distributed systems, with a proven track record of designing highly scalable, low-latency observability platforms.

• Architect and optimize scalable telemetry ingestion and storage platforms using Java and PostgreSQL.
• Design and enhance high-throughput Apache Kafka streaming pipelines for real‑time telemetry processing.
• Define enterprise observability standards and build advanced Grafana dashboards for monitoring global infrastructure.
• Architect stateful stream‑processing solutions using technologies such as Apache Flink.
• Evaluate and prototype emerging observability technologies including Model‑Driven Telemetry (MDT), Click House, and Thanos.
• Define platform architecture, technical standards, and long‑term engineering roadmaps.
• Establish and monitor SLIs/SLOs to ensure high availability, reliability, and platform performance.
• Lead complex root cause analysis, performance tuning, and architectural improvements for mission‑critical systems.
• Collaborate with software engineering, network engineering, and infrastructure teams to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Mentor engineering teams and drive technical excellence through architecture reviews and best practices.

• 10+ years of software engineering experience with expertise in distributed systems.
• 5+ years of experience building large-scale network engineering, telemetry, or observability platforms.
• Expert‑level proficiency in Java backend development.
• Strong expertise with Apache Kafka, including cluster architecture, messaging, and stream processing.
• Advanced experience with PostgreSQL schema design, optimization, and performance tuning.
• Expert‑level experience developing enterprise dashboards using Grafana.
• Strong understanding of distributed systems, real‑time streaming, and high‑throughput data processing.
• Experience with Prometheus, Thanos, Click House, or similar observability platforms.
• Experience defining SLIs, SLOs, monitoring strategies, and incident management.
• Strong stakeholder management, technical leadership, and architectural design skills.

• Experience with Apache Flink or other stream‑processing frameworks.
• Knowledge of Model‑Driven Telemetry (MDT) and modern telemetry architectures.
• Experience working with cloud‑native observability platforms and Kubernetes environments.
• Familiarity with ITIL processes and enterprise operational best practices.
• Experience mentoring senior engineers and leading technical strategy across large organizations.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience designing globally distributed, high‑availability observability platforms.
• Strong background in Agile/Scrum software development methodologies.
• Proven ability to drive long‑term technical vision, innovation, and engineering excellence in enterprise‑scale environments.