Senior Technical Program Manager, Confluent
$183.8-216k
+ Equity
Data streaming platform
Be an early applicant
Data streaming platform
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$183.8-216k
+ Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To help every organization harness data in motion so they can compete and thrive in the modern world.
Role
Who you are
- Experience: 5–8+ years in a technical program management role, specifically within cloud-native or high-scale software environments
- Technical Deep-Dive: Deep understanding of distributed systems, cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure), and data streaming technologies like Apache Kafka
- Leadership Style: Alignment with Confluent’s values: Smart, Humble, and Empathetic; you thrive in fast-paced environments and "Get Stuff Done"
- Proactive Problem-Solving: A results-driven mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity and take initiative to drive efficiencies
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work across engineering, product, Finance, and data teams to align on goals and deliver cost savings
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field
Desirable
- Experience with cost management tools or frameworks in large-scale infrastructure environments
- Familiarity with Confluent or other large-scale platforms
- Experience in building dashboards using JQL, SQL, Data Studio, BigQuery is highly desirable
What the job involves
- As a Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM), you will be a key force-multiplier within Confluent's engineering organization. Your primary responsibility is leading the execution of high-priority, "cannot-fail" programs
- This role requires driving crucial cross-functional alignment across Product, Engineering, Finance and Security teams to build the foundational "central nervous system" for modern enterprises
- Drive Complex Initiatives: Lead the end-to-end delivery of large-scale technical projects, such as Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery, Cost and Efficiency or platform-wide architecture shifts
- Technical Liaison: Translate high-level business goals into detailed technical requirements and communicate complex architecture trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders
- Operational Excellence: Establish rigorous program management standards, including clear milestones, KPIs, and risk-mitigation strategies to ensure predictable delivery
- Strategic Alignment: Partner with leadership to prioritize the roadmap, resolve cross-team dependencies, and manage resource allocation for business-critical programs
- Stakeholder Management: Facilitate decision-making across global, distributed teams and manage relationships with key internal and external partners
Our take
Confluent is a commercial company built on top of the open-source Apache Kafka project. Confluent and Kafka have developed a streaming data technology that processes massive amounts of information in real-time. The streaming database technology was developed at LinkedIn as a way of moving massive amounts of messages. The company decided to open-source that tech in 2011, and Confluent launched as the commercial arm in 2014.
While the base open-source component remains available for free download, it doesn’t include the additional tooling the company has built to make it easier for enterprises to use Kafka. Confluent's value add is in those additional tools, including a cloud version of the product and a marketplace for sharing extensions to the platform.
Confluent expanded strategic partnerships with Microsoft and acquired Immerok, and in 2023 expanded its cloud platform. 2024 saw further product expansions with the launch of the Confluent Migration Accelerator, all exemplifying how the company is living up to its name by rocket-boosting the benefits of Apache Kafka integration for companies.
Now, it looks like IBM is eyeing the company for acquisition and Confluent looks to be a natural fit. Long positioned as the real-time backbone behind modern application, Confluent would gain global scale and an even deeper enterprise reach under iBM, while cementing its role at the center of AI-driven architectures. For COnfluent, the deal would marka shift from fast-growing independent disruptor to foundational infrastructure player powering the next wave of enterprise AI.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (last 2 of 5 rounds)
Apr 2020
$250m
SERIES E
Jan 2019
$125m
SERIES D
Total funding: $455.9m
Company HQ
Old Mountain View, Mountain View, CA
Leadership
Jay Kreps
(Co-Founder & CEO)Prior to co-founding Confluent in 2014, Jay spent 7 years at LinkedIn, holding various roles including Principal Engineer and Principal Staff Engineer.
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