Staff Backend Engineer, Hub (US East Coast)
WFA Digital Insight
As remote work continues to shape the tech industry, demand for skilled backend engineers with expertise in distributed systems has skyrocketed. With over 20 million monthly users, Docker is at the forefront of this trend. The company's commitment to innovation and great developer experiences makes it an exciting place to work. Candidates with a strong background in Golang, Kubernetes, and large-scale backend architectures are in high demand. Before applying, it's essential to understand the complexities of distributed systems and the importance of scalability, correctness, and resilience in high-throughput environments.
Job Description
About the Role
Docker is seeking a highly experienced Staff Backend Engineer to lead the development of its distributed systems, focusing on large-scale backend architecture and high-volume storage systems. This is a unique opportunity to work on a globally critical developer platform, collaborating with a talented team of engineers, SREs, product managers, and designers. As a technical leader, you will simplify complexity, elevate engineering quality, and drive the growth of Docker's platform.The successful candidate will have 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. This is a highly dynamic environment, and you will operate in a fast-paced setting where the platform is continuously evolving to support enormous growth in traffic, data, and global usage.
Docker's 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. The company is growing fast and just getting started, making it an exciting time to join the team.
What You Will Do
- Architect, build, and operate high-scale distributed systems powering Docker Hub's registry platform
- 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, and operate data and storage layers for both relational and NoSQL databases, as well as object storage and related technologies
- Develop schemas and data models to support high-throughput, large-volume workloads
- 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
- 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
What We Are Looking For
- 8+ years of 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 in production
- Experience building and operating cloud-based services, with AWS experience preferred
- Experience with event-driven or streaming systems, such as Kafka, SNS/SQS, or equivalent
- Strong foundation in software engineering best practices
- Comfortable functioning autonomously in a fully distributed, remote-first team
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
Nice to Have
- Experience with containerization and orchestration using Docker
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies and version control systems like Git
- Experience with security and compliance in cloud-based environments
- Knowledge of networking protocols and architectures
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and equity package
- Comprehensive health insurance and benefits
- Generous paid time off and flexible working hours
- Remote work stipend and home office setup support
- Opportunities for professional growth and career development
- Collaborative and dynamic work environment with a talented team of engineers
- Access to the latest technologies and tools
- Recognition and reward for outstanding performance and contributions
How to Stand Out
- To stand out as a candidate, make sure to highlight your experience with distributed systems, large-scale backend architectures, and high-volume storage systems in your resume and cover letter.
- Be prepared to talk about your technical leadership experience, including mentoring engineers and leading design and architecture reviews.
- Familiarize yourself with Docker's technology stack, including Golang, Kubernetes, and cloud-based services, to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role.
- Practice explaining complex technical concepts in simple terms, as you will be working with a cross-functional team.
- Be prepared to discuss your experience with observability, deployment, and operational tooling, and how you have improved the performance and reliability of systems in the past.
- Research Docker's company culture and values to show your understanding of the company's mission and vision.
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