Apache Kafka Experts in Hamburg
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Meet FRATCH Experts in Hamburg, who have recently used Apache Kafka
Niko Schmuck
Last position:
Developing Architect, Technical Lead "gridlytics" at HH Energienetze
- Building a data integration platform for high, medium, and low voltage assets for contextual analysis of time series with master data from the SCADA control system (IEC 60870 104), INIS, and SAP.
- Responsibility for the architecture and implementation of the solution, as well as sparring partner for the Product Owner.
- Use of Kotlin, Spring Boot, Maven, TimescaleDB, PostgreSQL, liquibase, Elements IoT, Docker, Kubernetes, Grafana, Python, jupyter, and various API gateways.
Daniel Sedlack
Last position:
Senior Software Engineer at energielenker solutions GmbH
- Designed and implemented a Python-based ETL pipeline with the Dagster framework to transform raw energy data from heterogeneous sources using InfluxDB and visualizations in Grafana
- Defined time-based and dependency-based jobs
- Deployed to managed Kubernetes clusters using Helm
- Integrated InfluxDB Cloud
- Prepared data for use in Grafana, including cleaning, normalization, and time-based resampling in Python
- Developed dashboards and visualizations in Grafana
- Developed unit tests with mocking using pytest
- Set up a CI/CD pipeline in GitLab
Technologies: Python, Dagster, InfluxDB, Grafana, pandas, pytest, REST, CI/CD, GitLab, Container, Kubernetes, Helm, Docker, Cloud
Cornelius Höfig
Last position:
Solution Architect at STIHL
- Remodeling of the system architecture for an Azure-based platform aimed at rapid development of new functionalities
- Modeling of a staging concept for the fulfillment of diverse customer and QA needs
- Creation of requirements for, and oversight of, a proof-of-concept supplier project for a Flutter app with highly advanced BLE functionalities
- Comparison of multiple observability platforms for feasibility and requirements fit within the project environment
- Creation of a mobile app architecture based on domain-driven architecture
- Position of technical advisor and accountable solution architect for two development teams
- Execution of architecture reviews and alignment of changes with architectural expectations
- Skills & Technologies: Microsoft Azure , App Services, NodeJS Mono-repository, microservice architecture, domain driven design, self contained systems, requirements engineering, CI/CD, DevOps, API design, solution architecture
Lutz Hühnken
Last position:
Fractional CTO, Interim Engineering Manager, Architect at independent
Strategic technology leadership and architecture consulting.
- Fractional CTO & interim management for startups, scale-ups, and enterprises – technical strategy, team building, architecture oversight, and delivery.
- Architecture consulting on cloud-native, distributed, and event-driven systems: reviews, design partnerships, and ongoing advisory.
- Event-driven architecture training – a hands-on 2-day course for engineering teams
- Conference speaker on distributed systems
Rainer Diekmann
Last position:
Enterprise Architecture Management / Backend Software Developer at Polizei Hamburg
- Several projects in a police context
- Model and document police procedures/projects with Archimate (as-is/to-be) in the context of P20 (BKA)
- Create software architectures with microservices
- POC development with Springboot/Docker/Kubernetes
- Project size: 10 people
- Enterprise architecture management with Togaf and Archimate
- Backend software development Springboot
- DevOps with Kubernetes
- Implemented using: Java 17/21, Springboot 3, P20 architecture, Togaf, Archimate
Felix Ortmann
Last position:
Cloud Architect at uni-assist e.V.
- Project lead ‘Cloud Migration’ for moving the on-premise production environment to Scaleway.
- Transformed a Docker-Swarm legacy setup to a modern Kubernetes-based cloud environment.
- Architected a GDPR-compliant cloud landscape and deployment setup – 100% European sovereign cloud.
- Hands-on bootstrapped the cloud environment with Terraform, ArgoCD, and GitLab Pipelines CI/CD.
- Replaced the legacy VPN with modern mTLS PKI and deep AD integration.
- Managed an 11-headed agile team using Kanban, moderating team meetings and plannings.
- Successfully finished the migration, moving infrastructure, services, and data, from planning to execution.
Patrick Von Der Gönna
Last position:
Senior Director, Retail Media at EUROBAUSTOFF Handelsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
- Strategic consulting on marketing funds (WKZ) and retail media, focusing on monetization opportunities and data-driven business models
- Conducting a portfolio analysis of existing WKZ measures to assess the revenue and ROI impact of WKZ investments on supplier performance
- Potential analysis of digital WKZ products and initiatives to identify growth and efficiency levers
- Preparing and presenting the results to management and deriving a strategic move-forward plan
- Designing and facilitating several executive workshops to develop a holistic retail media vision and transformation roadmap
- Defining and prioritizing retail media business cases for data-driven evaluation of investment options
- Developing a technical target architecture considering heterogeneous ERP infrastructures and designing an integrated loyalty program
- Designing change management, including impact analysis on organizational structures and processes
- Creating and presenting C-level decision templates
- Establishing a clear retail media governance structure and technical foundation for data-driven marketing
- Developing a roadmap for implementation in 2026
Andreas Schmückert
Last position:
Solution Architect, Business Analyst, Consultant, Full-Stack Lead-Developer at 50Hertz Transmission GmbH
- Solution for micro-service and frontend solution for the electric grid
- Leading of development teams
- Technologies: React-Native, TypeScript, Kotlin, AWS, Infrastructure As Code, Serverless Architecture, React, NoSQL, GraphQL, Angular, Playwright, Python, ML(Ops), Kubernetes, Docker
Raphael Vullriede
Last position:
Tech- / Team Lead / Architect / Engineer at Freelance IT Consultant
- Independent Software Engineer focusing mainly on complex backend architectures.
Bastian Isensee
Last position:
Senior Backend Engineer Go & Technical Consultant at Regulated trading system for digital assets
- Technical consulting to meet regulatory MiCA requirements for a digital trading platform
- Design and development of backend components and APIs to comply with transparency and auditability requirements
- Optimization of core functions in order execution and market data delivery with a focus on performance and reliability under high load
- Conducting job interviews and structured onboarding of new developers
- Successful and timely implementation of the regulatory MiCA requirements, ensuring uninterrupted operations
- Reduction of user issues and common support requests by fixing complex backend problems
- Strengthening the development team through effective onboarding, mentoring, and knowledge sharing
Sven Busse
Last position:
Frontend Developer at TQGG
- Reimplementation of the ESN.com online shop with Shopify's Hydrogen and Remix
- Headless CMS Contentful integration via GraphQL
Mark Plaatsman
Last position:
Full-Stack Software Developer, Product Data Import at Otto (GmbH & Co KG)
- Manage and operate the product data import services for the Otto merchant
- Enhance and maintain the backend systems
- Optimize and maintain AWS infrastructure
- Build a new product data import API
- Design and plan stories and features
- Conduct code reviews to ensure code quality and best practices
- Analyze and fix bugs
- Technologies: Java, Spring Boot, Kafka, AWS, Fargate, Terraform, MongoDB, Mongo Atlas, OpenAPI, GitHub, GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot, Akhq, Debezium, JUnit, Test Containers, Hexagonal Architecture
Bharathi Vanganuru
Last position:
Senior Software Engineer (Individual Contributor) at European XFEL
- Electronic logbook app developed for research centers to maintain their investigations.
- Emphasizes user-driven organization of communication: experiment groups can configure information structure and notifications, while principal investigators maintain full access control.
- Real-time integration with the facility’s metadata catalogue, control system Karabo, and data analysis tool enables the automatic logging of key events, complemented by manual entries as needed.
Christian Hartmann
Last position:
Software Developer / Lead Developer at dpa (Deutsche Presse Agentur GmbH)
- Contributed to the development of the Rubix editorial system
- Implemented various microservices based on Java, AWS S3, AWS SQS, AWS SNS, and Spring Boot, deployed to AWS ECS and AWS Fargate
- Designed and developed AWS Lambdas using TypeScript
- Used PostgreSQL in an AWS RDS Aurora cluster and AWS DynamoDB
- Implemented continuous deployment with GitLab pipelines
- Built an Infrastructure as Code environment with AWS CDK
- Set up and maintained a monitoring platform using AWS CloudWatch
- Developed various frontend components with Vue.js
- Designed the microservice architecture applying Domain Driven Design and GraphQL interfaces
Frank Heimsohn
Last position:
Project Manager Database Upgrade at Bank
- Planning, coordination and tracking of tasks for database administration (DBA)
- Coordination with application developers and test managers (QA) involved in the project
- Migration of existing databases in several stages
- Coordination and communication with stakeholders
- Technologies: MariaDB
- Tools: MS Office, Confluence, Jira
- Methods: project management according to the client's process
- Project language: English / German
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using Apache Kafka
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
20 years (Germany: 18 years)
Position duration
1.9 years (Germany: 2.7 years)
Positions per freelancer
17 (Germany: 13)
Top business areas
Information Technology, Product Development, Project Management
Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Retail
Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Product Development, Project Management
Bachelor's degree or higher
88% (Germany: 91%)
Master's degree or higher
50% (Germany: 55%)
Doctorate
6% (Germany: 9%)
Certifications per freelancer
3 (Germany: 2)
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
100% (Germany: 98%)
Based on our profile pool as of 30 Aug 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this technology in Hamburg are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range.
Average rates of experts in Hamburg using Apache Kafka
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 30 Aug 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
About the technology
Event streaming
Apache Kafka is built for moving data as events. Teams use it to connect services, capture activity in real time, and keep systems in sync without tight coupling. It fits products that need fast, durable, ordered data flow.
Common uses
- Service communication across microservices
- Clickstream and product event tracking
- Order, payment, and logistics updates
- Real-time alerts and monitoring feeds
- Data pipelines into warehouses and lake systems
Ecosystem
Strong Kafka work goes beyond the core cluster. Experts often use Kafka Connect for source and sink integration, Kafka Streams for stream processing, and Schema Registry to manage event formats. In Hamburg, this often supports logistics, trade, media, and platform teams that need stable event-driven systems.
When to bring in help
Companies bring in freelance specialists when clusters grow complex, schemas drift, consumer lag appears, or a migration needs care. They also help when teams need better partitioning, retention rules, security, or disaster recovery. Good experts reduce risk before changes reach production.
What strong specialists do
- Design topics, partitions, and consumer groups
- Set retention, replication, and access controls
- Diagnose lag, rebalancing, and delivery issues
- Improve producer and consumer performance
- Build clear event contracts and naming rules
What to expect
A strong Apache Kafka specialist knows how to keep streams reliable under load. They understand trade-offs around ordering, throughput, durability, and exactly-once processing. They write clean documentation, work well with platform and data teams, and can support both greenfield builds and existing Kafka estates in Hamburg or remote.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure where to start with Apache Kafka? These answers cover the essentials.
Apache Kafka is used to move event data between systems in real time. Companies use it for service messaging, activity tracking, log transport, and data pipelines that need high throughput and durable delivery. It is a fit when many systems must react to the same stream of events.
Kafka is usually chosen when event history, replay, and high-volume streams matter. RabbitMQ is often better for simpler queue-based delivery and task dispatch. The right choice depends on whether you need long-lived event storage and multiple consumers or a shorter-lived queue pattern.
A strong Apache Kafka specialist usually knows event-driven design, Java or Scala, Linux, networking, and distributed systems basics. Many also work with Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, Schema Registry, and cloud platforms. Security, observability, and data modeling matter just as much as the broker setup.
Most Kafka projects need more than setup knowledge. If the scope includes production traffic, schema changes, or migrations, look for someone who has worked on live clusters and has seen failures, rebalances, and recovery work. Smaller internal proof-of-concepts can be handled with lighter support, but production systems should not.
Yes, Apache Kafka work is often done remotely because most tasks happen in code, configuration, and cluster operations. For Hamburg-based companies, remote collaboration works well when access, security, and communication are clear. On-site time can still help during migration windows, incident reviews, or stakeholder workshops.
Kafka fits companies that run many connected systems and need events to move quickly between them. In Hamburg, that often includes logistics, trade, media, commerce, and platform-heavy businesses. The exact industry matters less than the need for reliable event flow and integration across teams.
Ask how the person designs topics, handles schema changes, and prevents consumer lag. A strong Apache Kafka specialist explains trade-offs clearly and can talk through recovery, monitoring, and security without vague answers. Look for practical examples, not just tool names.
Apache Kafka is the open source project. Confluent Kafka usually means the commercial distribution and related tooling from Confluent, which builds on the same core. A good freelancer should know the open source core well and be clear about what each extra component adds.
The average hourly rate of freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects is 104 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 832 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects, 88% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 50% hold at least a Master's degree, and 6% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects have 20 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 1.9 years.
The most common languages among freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects are German (100%), English (100%), and French (5%).
The most common industries among freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Banking and Finance (63%), and Retail (63%).
The most common business areas among freelancers in Hamburg, Germany who have used Apache Kafka in their recent projects are Information Technology (100%), Product Development (95%), and Project Management (74%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Apache Kafka
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Berlin 
Munich 
Cologne 
Frankfurt 
Stuttgart 
Dusseldorf 
Nuremberg Request a free demo
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
