[Remote] Principal Software Engineer, AI Cloud at Docker

Seattle, Washington, United States

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$232,000 – $319,000Compensation

Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level

Full TimeJob Type

UnknownVisa

Technology, Cloud Computing, AIIndustries

Requirements

10+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years in technical leadership roles (Staff or Principal level)
Proven experience designing and building highly scalable distributed systems in production environments
Deep understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI), including compute, networking, and storage primitives
Proficiency in Go, Rust, or Java
Expertise in Kubernetes, microservices, and service mesh architectures
Strong foundation in observability, CI/CD, and infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Pulumi, or CloudFormation)
Experience operating high-availability (99.99%+) production systems
Exceptional communication skills and ability to influence across technical and business domains
Preferred
Experience designing multi-cloud or cross-cloud abstractions and orchestration layers
Knowledge of container lifecycle management, networking

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Architecture
Define and drive the long-term technical strategy for Docker AI Cloud’s control and data plane services
Architect highly available, multi-region systems capable of operating seamlessly across multiple cloud providers
Design APIs and service abstractions that integrate Docker Desktop, Hub, and enterprise cloud services
Establish standards for reliability, scalability, and observability across the Docker AI Cloud platform
Lead cross-functional technical discussions and influence architectural decisions company-wide
Systems Design & Implementation
Design and implement distributed systems for workload orchestration, service discovery, and lifecycle management
Build and operate control plane components that manage multi-tenant workloads and cloud networking
Develop infrastructure that delivers predictable performance, intelligent scaling, and automated failover
Ensure security, data integrity, and compliance across Docker’s global infrastructure footprint
Partner with platform and product teams to deliver developer-friendly APIs and cloud experiences
Strategic Impact
Align technical direction with Docker’s business objectives for cloud growth and developer platform unification
Evaluate emerging technologies (e.g., service meshes, container orchestration, edge computing) and guide adoption
Drive initiatives that reduce latency, optimize cost, and improve cross-cloud performance
Define metrics and SLAs for Docker AI Cloud’s reliability and scalability
Leadership & Mentorship
Mentor senior, staff and principal engineers, fostering technical excellence and growth across teams
Lead design reviews and guide critical production system decisions
Drive a culture of operational excellence, ownership, and innovation
Collaborate with engineering and product leadership to align priorities and resource planning

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

Distributed SystemsCloud ArchitectureAPIsWorkload OrchestrationService DiscoveryMulti-Region SystemsObservabilityScalabilityReliabilityDocker DesktopDocker HubControl PlaneData Plane

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for the Principal Software Engineer role?

The salary range is $232K - $319K.

Is this position remote?

Yes, the position is remote with a remote-first team that spans the globe.

What key skills are required for this Principal Software Engineer position?

The role requires expertise in distributed systems, technical leadership, architecture of highly available multi-region systems, systems design and implementation, and leadership & mentorship.

What is the company culture like at Docker?

Docker has a remote-first team united by passion for innovation and great developer experiences, with a culture of operational excellence, ownership, technical excellence, and growth.

What makes a strong candidate for this role?

Strong candidates will have experience defining technical vision, leading distributed systems design across multi-cloud environments, mentoring engineers, and driving strategic technical initiatives aligned with business objectives.

Docker

Containerization platform for application development

About Docker

Docker offers a containerization platform that enables developers to build, share, and run applications in isolated environments called containers. These containers package applications with their dependencies, ensuring consistent performance across different stages of development and deployment. Docker stands out from competitors by simplifying the development process and enhancing collaboration, with a freemium business model that includes various subscription tiers and services like Docker Hub and Docker Desktop. The company's goal is to streamline software development and deployment, making it easier for developers to manage applications efficiently.

Palo Alto, CaliforniaHeadquarters

2013Year Founded

$484.3MTotal Funding

SERIES_CCompany Stage

Consumer Software, Enterprise SoftwareIndustries

501-1,000Employees

Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Home Office Stipend

Parental Leave

Phone/Internet Stipend

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Professional Development Budget

Company Equity

Health Insurance

Risks

Competition from Kubernetes could impact Docker's market share.

Alternative container runtimes like Podman pose a threat to Docker's dominance.

Security vulnerabilities in Docker containers could undermine platform trust.

Differentiation

Docker offers a comprehensive platform for building, sharing, and running applications.

Docker's containerization ensures consistency across development and deployment stages.

Docker's freemium model provides flexibility with various subscription tiers.

Upsides

Increased adoption of Kubernetes drives demand for Docker's containerization solutions.

Docker's acquisitions enhance its performance, flexibility, and security features.

Growing hybrid and multi-cloud environments position Docker as a key player.

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