Are you ready to unlock intelligence?

If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.

About the role:

We are working on a series of exciting projects to further improve the core of the best API Platform for platform builders, and we are looking for a strong Software Engineer who is passionate about Scheme, Rust, implementing interpreters and compilers.

What you'll be doing:

Architecture, design, and implement a Rust based interpreter for a Scheme-based Domain Specific Language.
Develop tooling to improve the developer experience (playgrounds, documentation, LLM code generation).
Bugs troubleshooting, performance tuning and low-level optimizations for the interpreter.
Work with a world-class engineering team distributed around the world.

What you'll bring:

Experience working on designing Scheme-based dialects and implementing their interpreter, preferably in Rust.
5+ years of programming, with demonstrable experience in Rust.
Solid hands-on low-level technical expertise in Linux systems troubleshooting, and profiling.
Strong sense of ownership and excellent verbal and written communication skills -- engineers at Kong write the documentation for their products.

What is a Konger?

We are a group of makers, thinkers, and doers focused on helping today’s developers build tomorrow’s technology. Our teams work on the bleeding edge of API innovation to provide our users with a central nervous system for data and services.

We put design at the heart of everything we do, and we’re relentlessly focused on creating beautiful experiences for our customers. That’s why technology companies, major banks, e-commerce innovators, and government agencies put Kong in front of their most important web applications.

We believe in the power of Open Source and everything it stands for. That’s why developers around the world enthusiastically contribute on top of our open-source platform.

We are passionate about solving challenges that will fundamentally shape the future of technology, and we’re looking for the right people to join us on our mission. If you believe in taking ownership of your work, making an impact, and having fun along the way, we would love to talk to you.

Kong Core Values:

Global - Be Inclusive. We work together from anywhere to achieve our common goals. Our differences make us stronger.

Real - Be Authentic. We are genuine, principled and confident without arrogance. Show respect and kindness, especially in tough moments.

Unstoppable - Be Relentlessly Resourceful. We work with purpose, obsession and grit. It takes muscle to do the hard things and doing hard things builds muscle.

Champion - Be Customer Obsessed. We Care. Customers are everything, we put them at the center of everything we do. We are all empowered to make an impact.

Explorer - Be Curious. We value ideas over hierarchy. Never accept status quo. We make bold bets, fail, and learn everyday. There is always a way.

Own It - Be an Owner. We are drivers not passengers and own the quality and outcomes of our work.

#LI-CL1

About Kong:

Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the infrastructure that powers the agentic era. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and startups alike, Kong's unified API and AI platform, Kong Konnect, enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI models. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.

Senior Software Engineer, Scheme Interpreter - Shanghai