Middleware Consultant

Role: Middleware Engineer (IBM MQ & Kafka – Development & Support)
Overview
We are looking for a Middleware Engineer with strong expertise in IBM MQ and Apache Kafka to support and enhance enterprise messaging platforms. The role involves development, integration, production support, and performance optimization for real-time and asynchronous messaging systems.
 

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Messaging Platform Management

• Administer and support: 
  • IBM MQ (Queue Managers, Channels, Queues)
  • Apache Kafka (Topics, Brokers, Partitions, Clusters)
• Configure and manage message routing, transformation, and integration flows
• Handle queue/topic setup, retention policies, and message persistence

Development & Integration

• Develop and maintain message producers/consumers using MQ and Kafka
• Build integration solutions using: 
  • Java / Spring Boot / Kafka Streams / MQ APIs
• Implement event-driven and asynchronous architectures
• Design and manage data streaming pipelines

Production Support

• Provide L2/L3 support for messaging platforms and integrations
• Monitor queue depth, lag, consumer health, and throughput
• Perform incident management, RCA, and problem resolution
• Ensure high availability, failover, and disaster recovery readiness

Performance & Optimization

• Optimize: 
  • Message throughput and latency
  • Kafka partitioning and consumer groups
  • MQ queue performance and channel configurations
• Conduct capacity planning and scaling strategies

Automation & DevOps

• Build automation scripts using: 
  • Shell / Python / Ansible
• Integrate messaging platforms with: 
  • CI/CD pipelines (Azure DevOps, Jenkins)
• Support infrastructure automation and configuration management

Security & Compliance

• Manage: 
  • MQ security (SSL/TLS, authentication, authorization)
  • Kafka security (SASL, ACLs, encryption)
• Ensure compliance with enterprise security standards

Collaboration

• Work with: 
  • Application teams, DevOps, and infrastructure teams
• Support application onboarding onto MQ/Kafka platforms

Participate in release management and deployments

Qualifications

Required Skills & Experience

Core Technical Skills

• Strong hands-on experience in: 
  • IBM MQ Administration & Development
  • Apache Kafka (cluster setup, topic management, troubleshooting)
• Expertise in: 
  • Messaging patterns (Pub/Sub, Point-to-Point, Event Streaming)

Development Skills

• Experience with: 
  • Kafka Streams / Kafka Connect
  • IBM MQ APIs

Support & Monitoring

• Monitoring tools: 
  • Dynatrace / Splunk / Prometheus / Grafana
• DevOps & Automation
• Knowledge of: 
  • CI/CD tools (Azure DevOps, Jenkins)
  • Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes – good to have)
• Cloud Exposure (Preferred)
• Experience with: 
  • Azure Event Hubs / AWS MSK (Kafka equivalents)
  • Hybrid or cloud-native messaging architectures
• Soft Skills
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities
• Proactive operational mindset
• Effective communication with cross-functional teams
• Ability to work in high-pressure production environments

Experience

• 10+ years in Middleware / Messaging platforms
• Experience in BFSI domain (preferred)

About UsAt Zensar, we’re “experience-led everything”. We are committed to conceptualizing, designing, engineering, marketing, and managing digital solutions and experiences for over 130 leading enterprises. We are a company driven by a bold purpose: Together, we shape experiences for better futures. Whether for our clients, our people, or the world around us, this belief powers everything we do. At the heart of our culture is ONE with Client - a set of four core values that reflect who we are and how we work: One Zensar, Nurturing, Empowering, and Client Focus.
Part of the $4.8 billion RPG Group, we’re a community of 10,000+ innovators across 30+ global locations, including Milpitas, Seattle, Princeton, Cape Town, London, Zurich, Singapore, and Mexico City. Explore Life at Zensar and join us to Grow. Own. Achieve. Learn. to be the best version of yourself.
We believe the best work happens when individuality is celebrated, growth is encouraged, and well-being is prioritized. We are an equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action employer, committed to creating an inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, family medical leave status, or protected veteran status.