Principal Software Engineer, Networking (Seattle or SF Bay Area)

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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As a Principal Software Engineer in Networking, you will set the technical direction for the networking stack behind Docker's Sandboxes platform and make architectural decisions that ripple across Docker's product portfolio. Your work will directly enable Docker's expansion into AI and security products.

This role calls for someone who:

Combines deep technical expertise in infrastructure at scale, virtual networking, service mesh, orchestration, and integration across the broader infrastructure stack;

Communicates and collaborates well, thinks critically, and turns ideas into working systems

Adapts to ambiguity and brings clarity

Provides technical leadership to a small team of engineers, driving customer delight through the solutions they deliver

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and operate core networking services that power Docker's Sandboxes platform across local laptops and public cloud environments

Build scalable networking infrastructure for microVM orchestration, workload scheduling, and lifecycle management

Develop high-performance networking data- and control-plane components for multi-tenant agentic workloads

Ensure network reliability, observability, and performance across Docker's 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 local and public-cloud environments

Take part in on-call rotation for your team; respond to incidents and drive continuous improvement of system reliability and availability

Qualifications

10+ years of experience building and leading large-scale cloud or distributed systems, with a focus on networking foundations

Track record of driving technical consensus and delivering high-quality infrastructure software at scale, on tight timelines

Experience with microservices architecture, container networking, service mesh, policy enforcement, and container orchestration

Experience with kernel and user-space networking technologies, including Linux networking, OVS/OVN, DPDK, and eBPF

Experience designing and operating highly available, secure, and observable networking infrastructure

Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI) 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

What to Expect

First 30 days

Onboard, integrate with our Sandbox infrastructure teams, and build context on Docker's Sandbox vision

Deep-dive into Sandbox architecture for local and public-cloud infrastructure, with a focus on driving simple, common foundational primitives usable across both environments

Identify the highest-leverage opportunities in the current architecture, along with strategic and tactical execution risks

First 90 days

Develop a technical roadmap to address the challenges identified; drive consensus across stakeholders

Provide technical leadership to a small team of engineers to deliver on the roadmap

Establish or improve technical standards for development, deployment, operation, and observability of networking services

One-year outlook

Drive simplification of foundational networking infrastructure across local and public-cloud environments

Establish repeatable engineering practices for quality, performance, and operational excellence

Nurture the team's confidence and capability by providing clarity, sustaining focus, and delivering pragmatically through successive iteration

Set a standard for what a small team of engineers can deliver and manage when given a charter, autonomy, and the tools they need

Docker considers visa sponsorship on a case-by-case basis based on business needs.

Compensation & Equity

United States: $198K – $319K + equity

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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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