Principal Software Engineer, Networking

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.

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:

1. Combines deep technical expertise in infrastructure at scale, virtual networking, service mesh, orchestration, and integration across the broader infrastructure stack;
2. Communicates and collaborates well, thinks critically, and turns ideas into working systems
3. Adapts to ambiguity and brings clarity
4. 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

Perks

• 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 (after 6 months of employment)
• Technology stipend equivalent to $100 USD 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

Docker embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our company will be.

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