Principal Software Engineer, AI Cloud
At Docker, we make app development easier so developers can focus on what matters. Our remote-first team spans the globe, united by a passion for innovation and great developer experiences. With over 20 million monthly users and 20 billion image pulls, Docker is the #1 tool for building, sharing, and running apps—trusted by startups and Fortune 100s alike. We’re growing fast and just getting started. Come join us for a whale of a ride!
Docker is building AI Cloud, the next evolution of our developer platform—a unified, multi-cloud service that seamlessly connects local development with global-scale deployment. Docker’s AI Cloud extends the power of Docker Desktop and Hub into the cloud, enabling developers to build, ship, and run applications securely and efficiently.
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will define the technical vision and lead the design and implementation of Docker AI Cloud’s distributed systems. As a key member of the AI Cloud leadership team, you will partner with principal engineers across the company to architect scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure that supports millions of developers and thousands of enterprises.
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
Qualifications
Required
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
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
Preferred
Experience designing multi-cloud or cross-cloud abstractions and orchestration layers
Knowledge of container lifecycle management, networking, and policy enforcement
Prior experience in developer infrastructure, PaaS, or hyperscale SaaS environments
Background contributing to open source or developer-focused platforms is a plus
Docker considers sponsorship on a case-by-case basis based on business needs.
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Perks
Freedom & flexibility; fit your work around your life
Designated quarterly Whaleness Days plus end of year Whaleness break
Home office setup; we want you comfortable while you work
16 weeks of paid Parental leave
Technology stipend equivalent to $100 net/month
PTO plan that encourages you to take time to do the things you enjoy
Training stipend for conferences, courses and classes
Equity; we are a growing start-up and want all employees to have a share in the success of the company
Docker Swag
Medical benefits, retirement and holidays vary by country
Remote-first culture, with offices in Seattle and Paris
Docker embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our company will be.
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