Staff Software Engineer, Enterprise

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!

We're looking for a Staff Software Engineer to join our Enterprise Platform team within the Infrastructure organization. In this role, you'll be a technical leader responsible for architecting and building customer-facing applications and workflows that enable enterprise success on Docker. You'll shape the technical direction of systems that power how the world's largest organizations manage, govern, and observe their Docker deployments at scale.

This is a high-impact role where you'll solve complex problems across multiple domains, influence technical strategy, and serve as a trusted advisor to teams across Docker. The platform you help design will directly support customers like Visa, Deloitte, EY, and Morgan Stanley, enabling them to adopt Docker products across thousands of developers with enterprise-grade governance controls.

Responsibilities

Drive Technical Strategy & Architecture

• Define the technical architecture for Docker's unified enterprise governance platform, ensuring it scales to support thousands of enterprise customers

• Design the Unified Internal Access Control Endpoint that will serve as the single source of truth for permissions, settings, and policies across all Docker products

• Architect systems that balance immediate customer needs with long-term platform extensibility

• Identify gaps in existing processes and systems, recommend solutions, and drive implementation

Lead Complex Technical Initiatives

• Own end-to-end delivery of major platform components such as the Enterprise Command Center, group management/RBAC systems, or high-volume audit logging infrastructure

• Lead technical design for SIEM/API integrations that enable enterprises to ingest Docker telemetry into their existing security infrastructure

• Solve complex problems creatively and efficiently, often navigating ambiguity and competing priorities

• Make technical decisions that balance customer impact, engineering velocity, and operational sustainability

Build & Elevate the Team

• Mentor engineers across the organization, helping them grow their technical skills and judgment

• Set technical standards and best practices that raise the bar for the entire platform organization

• Lead complex technical discussions and drive alignment across teams with different priorities

• Contribute to hiring by defining technical requirements and conducting interviews

Influence Across Docker

• Serve as a subject matter expert on enterprise platform architecture, consulted by teams across the company

• Partner with product management and leadership to translate Docker's enterprise strategy into technical roadmaps

• Build strong cross-functional networks with teams across Desktop, Hub, AI, Security, and Cloud products

• Represent the Enterprise Platform team in technical discussions with leadership and cross-functional stakeholders

Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• 8+ years of software engineering experience with deep specialization in building enterprise SaaS platforms or wide breadth across multiple relevant domains

• Expert-level proficiency in backend development (Go, Python, Java, or similar) with strong opinions on when to use what

• Extensive experience designing, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems

• Deep understanding of API design, service architecture, and system integration patterns

• Strong knowledge of databases, caching, and data pipeline architectures

• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and container/orchestration technologies

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Technical Leadership

• Proven track record of leading complex technical initiatives from conception through delivery

• Ability to make sound architectural decisions that account for scale, reliability, security, and maintainability

• Experience defining technical standards and driving adoption across teams

• Strong debugging and troubleshooting skills for complex distributed systems

• Demonstrated ability to identify systemic issues and drive improvements

Collaboration & Influence

• Excellent communication skills with ability to effectively present to leadership and drive alignment

• Track record of building strong cross-functional relationships and navigating organizational complexity

• Experience mentoring engineers and helping teams level up their technical capabilities

• Ability to take team/function strategic vision and translate it into technical execution

• Recognized as someone others rely on for good business judgment and partnership

Nice to Have

• Experience building enterprise governance, access control, or identity management systems

• Background in multi-tenant SaaS architectures serving large enterprise customers

• Familiarity with compliance frameworks (SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP) and their technical implications

• Experience with observability platforms and SIEM integrations

• Track record of building platforms consumed by other engineering teams

• Experience working directly with enterprise customers to understand requirements

What to Expect

First 90 Days

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of Docker's enterprise platform architecture and customer needs

• Identify 2-3 high-impact technical improvements and begin driving them forward

• Establish yourself as a trusted technical voice in architectural discussions

• Build strong relationships with key partners across Platform, Product, and Engineering leadership

First Year Outlook

• Lead the architecture and delivery of a major enterprise platform capability (e.g., unified access control, enterprise command center, or observability platform)

• Significantly contribute to team strategy discussions and help shape the technical roadmap

• Be recognized across Docker as the subject matter expert for enterprise platform architecture

• Measurably improve engineering velocity or system reliability through process or architectural improvements

• Mentor multiple engineers and contribute to team growth and hiring

How We Work

• Scope & Complexity: You'll work on complex tasks with significant scope, often spanning multiple systems and teams

• Autonomy: You'll drive your own work based on team strategy with minimal day-to-day direction, seeking input on new or ambiguous areas

• Influence: You'll proactively identify problems that impact the direction of the function and drive solutions

• Leadership: You'll lead through technical excellence and influence rather than authority, building consensus across teams

Docker considers sponsorship on a case-by-case basis based on business needs.

We use Covey as part of our hiring and / or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT. As part of the evaluation process we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 13, 2024.

Please see the independent bias audit report covering our use of Covey here.

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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