About Confluent
What is Confluent?
Confluent is the company behind the commercial data streaming platform built on Apache Kafka. Its own summary: "Confluent's data streaming platform puts data in motion—helping companies stream, process, and react to data in real time." Its job postings put the ambition more bluntly: "We're not just building better tech. We're rewriting how data moves and what the world can do with it."
Confluent is now part of IBM. On 17 March 2026 the company announced that "IBM has acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Confluent for $31 per share in cash, representing an enterprise value of approximately $11 billion", and its shares left Nasdaq the same day. Every current posting now carries the line: "Confluent is an IBM subsidiary which has been acquired by IBM and will be integrated into the IBM organization."
Where will I work?
Remotely, in most cases. Confluent's most recent annual report describes "a remote-first work culture. We care more about how our employees work than where they work", adding that the model "provides more flexibility for employees and broader access to talent". As of 31 December 2025 the company reported "3,241 employees distributed across 27 countries", 51% of them in the United States, with corporate headquarters in the San Francisco Bay Area. Open roles are posted as country- or state-scoped remote positions across the UK, Poland, India, Canada and the US, alongside office-based roles in Seattle, Boston, New York, Chicago, Dallas and Portland. Confluent also provides "FlexDesk" — "an on-demand, professional space to meet in person".
What is the Confluent team like?
Engineering-heavy and openly collegial. The company's five core values are "Earn Our Customers' Love", "Be Smart, Humble, and Empathetic", "Be Fired Up and Get Stuff Done", "Be Tasteful, Not Wasteful" and "One Team". Postings describe the bar for joining: "It takes a certain kind of person to join this team. Those who ask hard questions, give honest feedback, and show up for each other. No egos, no solo acts." Leadership hosts "regular all-hands meetings", and the company runs "regular, anonymous engagement surveys" to track the employee experience. Salary ranges are published on postings in local currency.
Work-Life Balance
Confluent's stated commitment is asynchronous, remote-first working rather than a shortened week. Its annual report heads the relevant section "Asynchronous Remote-First Work Environment" and describes a team of "Experience Ambassadors, located in almost every region where we operate", who bring people together in person and virtually through the year. On leave, the company publishes only that it provides "a comprehensive paid leave program" — no policy name, holiday allowance or day count is given, and the word "unlimited" does not appear in its annual report, on its careers site or on its job board. Confluent publishes nothing about a four-day week, a 32-hour week, compressed hours or a nine-day fortnight.
Perks and Benefits
- Cash and equity in compensation packages for most roles
- Medical and vision cover within a global benefits suite
- Dental cover included in the core benefits suite
- Retirement benefits alongside medical, dental and vision
- Access to mental wellbeing resources
- Family building benefits
- FlexDesk on-demand professional space to meet in person
- Leadership development programmes, coaching and on-demand e-learning