[Hiring] Senior Principal Software Engineer @Docker

Role Description

The Senior Principal Software Engineer is responsible for shaping and evolving the company’s technical landscape. In addition to designing, developing, and maintaining core systems, the Senior Principal Software Engineer provides strategic guidance to align technology initiatives with business goals. This role is vital in ensuring that the platform is secure, scalable, and performant—capable of supporting rapid growth and driving innovation.

Responsibilities

• Technical Strategy & Architecture
  • Define and drive the overarching technical vision, ensuring the platform meets current and future scalability, performance, and security needs.
  • Evaluate and select tools, frameworks, and architectures to maintain a state-of-the-art technology stack.
• Leadership & Mentorship
  • Provide technical leadership and guidance to the engineering organization, setting best practices and standards.
  • Coach and mentor engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration.
• Innovation & Research
  • Investigate emerging technologies, frameworks, and best practices.
  • Lead prototyping initiatives and proof-of-concepts that can transform the platform’s capabilities.
• Scalability & Performance
  • Ensure the platform is designed for high performance and can seamlessly handle increasing user loads.
  • Oversee performance optimization, load balancing, and capacity planning strategies.
• Reliability & Availability
  • Design fault-tolerant, highly available systems that minimize downtime and deliver a seamless user experience.
• Infrastructure Automation
  • Advocate for and implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles, CI/CD pipelines, and automation best practices.
  • Continuously refine deployment, testing, and operations processes to improve efficiency.
• Security & Compliance
  • Collaborate with security experts to ensure platform integrity, compliance with industry standards, and protection of sensitive data.
  • Proactively address security vulnerabilities and champion secure coding practices.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with product managers, designers, and other stakeholders to ensure technical initiatives support business objectives.
  • Drive alignment between engineering roadmaps and product strategies.
• Technical Problem-Solving
  • Tackle complex architectural and technical issues, providing clear direction and innovative solutions.
  • Serve as an escalation point for critical system challenges.
• Code Quality & Reviews
  • Uphold coding standards through thorough code reviews, ensuring high-quality, maintainable codebases.
  • Establish and enforce best practices around testing, documentation, and version control.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
  • Produce comprehensive technical documentation, including architectural diagrams, design guidelines, and operational runbooks.
  • Promote a transparent engineering culture by sharing insights and successes across the organization.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience with demonstrated expertise across multiple domains (SDLC, AI engineering, corporate systems, etc).
• Extensive software engineering experience, with a track record in designing and implementing large-scale, distributed systems.
• Deep technical expertise: Proficiency in multiple programming languages, cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP), and modern development frameworks.
• Leadership acumen: Demonstrated ability to lead diverse engineering teams, inspire innovation, and drive successful outcomes.
• Architectural vision: Proven skill in defining and driving architectural roadmaps that align with evolving business needs.
• Problem-solving ability: Expertise in diagnosing complex system issues and designing robust, scalable solutions.
• Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of influencing both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Security conscious: Solid understanding of security best practices, compliance standards, and data protection.
• Continuous improvement mindset: Passion for optimizing processes, toolchains, and workflows.
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

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.