Staff Backend Engineer Job at Docker

Staff Backend Engineer

Docker

Location:
United States

Category:
IT - Software Development

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

195400.00 - 275550.00 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! We’re looking for a Staff Backend Engineer with extensive experience in distributed systems, large-scale backend architecture, and high-volume storage systems. You will own systems end-to-end—from schema design and API architecture to deployment, observability, and operational excellence. The work is highly dynamic, and you will operate in a fast-paced environment where we continuously evolve the platform to support enormous growth in traffic, data, and global usage. You’ll collaborate across engineering, SRE, Product, and Design while acting as a technical leader who simplifies complexity, elevates engineering quality, and improves a globally critical developer platform. If you’re passionate about building and operating massive-scale distributed systems with huge data and throughput demands, this role is for you.

Job Responsibility:

Architect, build, and operate high-scale distributed systems powering Docker Hub’s registry platform—spanning artifact storage, metadata services, indexing workflows, and performance-critical APIs
Lead the design and implementation of backend services with a strong emphasis on scalability, correctness, resilience, and performance
Drive major initiatives around multi-region replication, caching strategies, request-path optimization, and core registry reliability
Design, optimize, operate the data and storage layers - for both Relational and NoSql as well as object storage and related technologies
Develop schemas and data models to support high-throughput, large-volume workloads
Own systems end-to-end—from storage-layer behavior to API design, deployment workflows, and production monitoring
Improve the performance and reliability of one of the world’s largest repositories of container images
Develop and enhance observability through metrics, traces, alerting, and dashboards
Lead improvements to deployment and operational tooling (e.g., Argo CD, GitHub Actions)
Participate in on-call rotations as part of supporting critical production services
Mentor engineers and lead design and architecture reviews
Partner with Product, Design, SRE, and Platform teams to deliver high-impact projects
Engage with open-source communities, cloud-native partners, and the broader ecosystem

Requirements:

8+ years backend engineering experience with deep expertise in distributed systems and large-scale backend architectures
Strong production experience with Golang, including designing and operating large Go-based services in cloud environments
Strong production experience with Kubernetes, including operating services at scale
Experience designing and running high-scale storage systems (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or equivalent) in production
Experience building and operating cloud-based services (AWS preferred)
Experience with event-driven or streaming systems, such as Kafka, SNS/SQS, or equivalent
Strong foundation in software engineering best practices: design documentation, testing strategies, CI/CD, code review, observability
Comfortable functioning autonomously in a fully distributed, remote-first team and working effectively in a fast-paced environment
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

Nice to have:

Experience with OCI registries, artifact stores, or large-scale content distribution systems
Familiarity with search/indexing systems or metadata-rich architectures
Contributions to cloud-native or open-source ecosystems

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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