Staff Software Engineer, Cloud Sandboxes (Seattle or SF Bay Area)
Docker · Seattle, WA; San Francisco Bay Area
Extracted from the posting
Designs and operates core services for Docker's Cloud Sandboxes platform, including microVM orchestration, workload scheduling, and multi-tenant control plane APIs. Stack includes Go and/or Java, Kubernetes, microservices, and AWS, Azure, or GCP. The role is for a staff engineer working on distributed systems reliability and observability.
About Docker
Docker has been one of the most loved brands in developer tooling, trusted by more than 20 million monthly users and over 20 billion container image pulls. From solo founders to the world's largest companies, developers rely on Docker to build, share, and run their applications across our suite of products including Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, and Docker Scout.
We are a globally distributed, remote-first team building the tools that define how software gets built and delivered. As AI agents redefine software development, Docker is at the center of that shift, providing the sandboxed environments, verified images, and secure infrastructure that make autonomous workflows trustworthy by default.
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The Role
We are a globally distributed, remote-first team building the tools that define how software gets built and delivered. As AI agents redefine software development, Docker is at the center of that shift, providing the sandboxed environments, verified images, and secure infrastructure that make autonomous workflows trustworthy by default.
As a Staff Software Engineer on the Cloud Sandboxes team, you’ll design and build the core systems that power Docker’s cloud agentic platform. Your work will focus on creating scalable, reliable, and secure infrastructure that enables developers to deploy and manage agentic workloads efficiently and with confidence.
If you thrive on solving distributed systems challenges, enjoy working at the intersection of developer experience and cloud infrastructure, and want to help shape the future of Docker’s platform, we’d love to hear from you.
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Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and operate core services that power Docker’s Cloud Sandboxes platform
- Build scalable systems for microVM orchestration, workload scheduling, and lifecycle management
- Develop high-performance APIs and control plane components for managing multi-tenant workloads
- Ensure system reliability, observability, and performance across Docker’s Cloud Sandbox infrastructure
- Collaborate with product, platform, and security teams to deliver customer-focused capabilities
- Participate in architectural discussions, code reviews, and design documents
- Contribute to automation and CI/CD improvements across the deployment pipeline
- Debug and resolve production issues across distributed systems in cloud environments
- Take part in on-call rotation for your team; respond to incidents, debug production issues, and drive continuous improvement of system reliability
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Qualifications
Required
- 10+ years of backend software engineering experience building large-scale cloud or distributed systems
- Strong proficiency in Go and/or Java
- Deep understanding of container orchestration, Kubernetes, and microservices architecture
- Experience designing and operating highly available, secure, and observable production systems
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and related scalability patterns
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and infrastructure-as-code tooling
- Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills in distributed environments
- Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across remote, cross-functional teams
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred
- Experience contributing to cloud-scale compute platforms or container infrastructure products
- Knowledge of service mesh, networking, or policy enforcement systems
- Experience with observability stacks (Prometheus, OpenTelemetry, Grafana, etc.)
- Familiarity with security best practices for multi-tenant cloud systems
- Prior experience in developer infrastructure, cloud platforms, or hyperscale environments
Visa sponsorship: Docker considers visa sponsorship on a case-by-case basis based on business needs.
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Compensation & Equity
All full-time roles include equity. Final compensation is determined on factors including but not limited to experience, skills, qualifications, and location.
United States: $170,350 – $275,550 base
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Posting Information
- Open vacancy: This posting is for an existing open role.
- AI in hiring: Docker may use AI-assisted tools during our recruiting process.
- Interview recordings: Candidates will be invited to opt in to interview recordings to support interviewer calibration and consistent evaluations. Recordings are optional and require explicit consent.
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Perks & Benefits
- Remote-first by design – Work from your home, with offices in Seattle and Paris for connection and collaboration.
- Flexibility that fits your life – We trust you to manage your schedule while delivering great work.
- Time to recharge – Generous PTO, designated quarterly Whaleness Days, and a designated end-of-year Whaleness break.
- Home office support – Set up your workspace for comfort and success.
- Technology stipend – Equivalent to US$100 net per month to help support your work.
- Learning & development – Annual stipend for conferences, courses, certifications, and continued learning.
- Parental leave – 16 weeks of paid parental leave after six months of employment.
- Equity for all full-time employees – Share in Docker's long-term success as we continue to grow.
- Comprehensive benefits – Medical, retirement, and paid holidays vary by country.
- Docker swag – Because representing the whale never gets old.
Docker is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe diverse teams build better products, make better decisions, and better serve our global community.
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