Senior Software Engineer, Backend Systems Job at Docker

Senior Software Engineer, Backend Systems

Docker

Location:
United States

Category:
IT - Software Development

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

184600.00 - 260700.00 USD / Year

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Job Description:

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! The Developer Experience (DevEx) team builds the systems and experiences that help millions of developers build, secure, and ship software with confidence. We power critical parts of Docker Scout and Hardened Images, enabling developers and enterprises to understand and improve their software supply chains. We're expanding our backend engineering group to strengthen the systems behind Docker's proprietary content and security capabilities. DevEx operates a polyglot backend infrastructure with significant systems in both Clojure and Go. We're actively evolving our technology strategy: while we maintain sophisticated Clojure-based architecture serving 20M+ users, we're working to consolidate around Go where it makes strategic sense and building new ownership capabilities in Go. What this means for you: In the immediate term, you'll likely work more in Clojure than Go, and this may continue for a sustained period. Over time, the balance will shift. We need engineers who are genuinely excited about working across both languages - learning deeply where you have gaps and contributing to thoughtful evolution of our platform. As a Senior Software Engineer, you'll guide technical design, lead feature delivery, mentor engineers, and help shape our engineering culture through this transition. You'll work with event-driven patterns, distributed systems, and cloud-native infrastructure while helping us evolve our stack pragmatically. This role suits someone who enjoys solving deep technical problems, values working across multiple technologies, and wants to grow their expertise while supporting others through change.

Job Responsibility:

Design, build, and maintain backend systems and APIs in both Clojure and Go
Lead small feature teams through planning, execution, and delivery
Mentor engineers and share knowledge across the team, particularly during technology transitions
Make pragmatic architectural decisions and contribute to long-term technical direction
Work closely with Product, Design, and other engineering teams to deliver end-to-end value
Improve observability, performance, and security of backend services
Raise operational standards and take part in the paid on-call rotation
Champion clear communication, documentation, and technical excellence.

Requirements:

Significant experience building and operating backend systems in production
Strong programming skills in either Clojure or Go with demonstrated willingness and ability to learn the other
Experience designing and maintaining distributed systems or microservices
Strong understanding of cloud-native systems (AWS or GCP), APIs, and data stores
Proven experience mentoring engineers and guiding projects from design to delivery
Excellent communication skills in a remote, async-first environment
A grounded, practical approach to balancing technical depth with business outcomes
6+ years of directly applicable experience
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice to have:

Production experience with both Clojure and Go
Experience with Datomic, event-driven architectures, or Kafka
Experience working through technology migrations or in polyglot environments
Functional programming background (if coming from Go) or systems programming background (if coming from Clojure)
Critical mindset: You're genuinely enthusiastic about working in whichever language you have less experience with.

What we offer:

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

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
February 21, 2026

Employment Type:

Fulltime

Work Type:

Remote work

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