Principal Software Engineer, Developer Tools (US West Coast)
Docker · United States
About this role
## Docker — Principal Software Engineer, Developer Tools (US West Coast) ### About Docker Docker is a developer tooling company trusted by **20M+ monthly users** and **20B+ container image pulls**. We’re a **globally distributed, remote-first** team building the tools that define how software is built and delivered—now with AI at the center of the shift toward **sandboxed environments, verified images, and secure infrastructure**. ### Role Overview Docker is seeking a **Principal Software Engineer** to define the **technical vision and architecture** for Docker’s **internal Developer Tools** organization. This is a rare opportunity to establish how software is **designed, built, shipped, and operated**, and to modernize the SDLC with AI so the “right way” becomes the “easy way.” You’ll own technical strategy across four interconnected pillars: - **Platform Engineering & Self-Service**: Build an internal developer platform enabling teams to scaffold, prototype, deploy, and operate their own services and tools. - **CI/CD & Build Systems**: Define Docker’s approach to continuous integration, delivery, and build infrastructure, including architectural standards, GitOps patterns, build substrate, and release engineering. - **SDLC Tenets & Mechanisms**: Partner with leadership (Security, Infrastructure, principal engineers, and service teams) to author SDLC tenets and build the mechanisms that enforce them (e.g., design/code review gates, pipeline standards, visibility). - **AI-Powered Developer Tooling**: Drive technical decisions for tooling choices, provider strategies, build/deploy substrate, and agent orchestration frameworks. Reporting to the **Sr Manager of Developer Tools**, you’ll collaborate with engineering leadership and ultimately customers as internal tools evolve into product offerings. ### What Would Make Someone Successful You excel at the intersection of **developer experience**, **platform engineering**, and **systems design**. You think in **platforms and golden paths**, build once to enable many teams, and focus on tools that are: - **Invisible by default** - **Indispensable once adopted** - **Measurable** in real workflows You have deep experience across developer tooling (CI/CD, build systems, observability, developer platforms) and working knowledge of **LLM integration and AI agent development**. You understand internal platform adoption—designing for uptake, integrating into existing workflows, and earning trust through data. ### Key Responsibilities **Technical Leadership & Architecture** - Define long-term architecture for Docker’s developer tooling platform (platform engineering, CI/CD, AI-powered tools) - Lead authoring of **SDLC tenets** and build enforcement mechanisms (gates, pipeline standards, visibility) - Establish architectural patterns, technical standards, and best practices - Design scalable, highly available infrastructure for developer tools, agents, and platform services - Drive tooling and orchestration decisions (providers, substrate, agent frameworks) - Align architecture with business objectives and productization opportunities **Systems Design & Implementation** - Architect and build Docker’s internal developer platform (self-service substrate) - Design and implement CI/CD and build infrastructure aligned to SDLC tenets and GitOps patterns - Set reliability, security, and performance standards (SLOs, monitoring, incident response, cost management) - Define integration points with existi
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