[Hiring] Principal Forward Deployed Engineer @Docker

Role Description

Docker Forward Deployed Engineers (FDE) embed directly with our most strategic customers to solve important, complex technical problems and turn ambitious ideas into production outcomes. FDEs take on the most challenging technical challenges using existing Docker products and patterns when possible, and work across customer, Docker Product and Engineering teams to realize new approaches when required.

As a Docker FDE, you will work side-by-side with customer engineering teams to:

• Deeply understand their goals, problems, constraints, and technical landscape.
• Identify the highest-leverage opportunities.
• Design, build, and ship solutions with them.

You own the technical journey from discovery and architecture through prototyping, implementation, and production rollout.

The solutions you build may:

• Use existing Docker products.
• Extend Docker into new environments.
• Integrate deeply with customer and third-party systems.
• Reveal capabilities that Docker should build next.

You work closely with Docker Solutions Architects to evolve existing patterns, and Docker Product and Engineering to turn new learnings into reusable patterns and product capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Build in Production with Customers:
  • Embed with customer engineering teams to design, build, and ship solutions from first prototype through stable production rollout.
  • Deliver working technical artifacts to customers.
  • Integrate Docker's AI platform with the customer's existing stack.
  • Own technical delivery on your engagements.
• Make AI Adoption Safe and Governable:
  • Translate customer security, compliance, and platform requirements into concrete plans.
  • Help customers define controls for adopting agentic AI.
  • Establish quality and performance standards for customers.
  • Partner with customer security and platform teams.
• Partner with Solutions Architecture and the Field:
  • Work closely with Solutions Architects to enable off-the-shelf solutions.
  • Feed implementation learnings back into reference architectures.
  • Support the field with technical depth during proofs of concept.
• Close the Loop with Product and Engineering:
  • Work closely with Product and Engineering teams.
  • Be the voice of the customer.
• Shape the Practice:
  • Define the FDE engagement model, delivery standards, and quality bar.
  • Mentor and lead other Forward Deployed Engineers.
  • Maintain deep, current knowledge of the agentic AI stack.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 4+ years in a customer-facing technical role.
• Technical leadership across multiple engagements, teams, or domains.
• Expert production coding skills in Go, Python, or TypeScript.
• Deep, hands-on Docker expertise.
• Hands-on experience building with LLMs and agents in production.
• Working knowledge of software supply chain security.
• Experience integrating with enterprise systems.
• Ability to scope and deliver complex work in ambiguous environments.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven track record of technical mentorship.
• High agency and comfort operating autonomously.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
• Travel to customer sites to build in person with customer teams, estimated at up to 50%.

Bonus

• Experience with Docker Hardened Images, Docker Scout, MCP Gateway, MCP Toolkit, Docker Sandboxes, or Docker Model Runner.
• Experience deploying and operating coding agents in team or enterprise settings.
• Experience with air-gapped, regulated, or compliance-driven environments.
• Contributions to open source projects in the container, Kubernetes, or MCP ecosystems.
• Prior experience founding or scaling a Forward Deployed Engineering or Professional Services practice.

Compensation & Equity

United States: $198K – $319K + equity

Perks & Benefits

• Remote-first by design.
• Flexibility that fits your life.
• Generous PTO and designated breaks.
• Home office support.
• Technology stipend.
• Annual stipend for learning & development.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Equity for all full-time employees.
• Comprehensive benefits vary by country.
• Docker swag.

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.