The salary range is a guideline and actual starting compensation will be determined by location, level, skills, and experience.

At Docker, we make app development easier so developers can focus on what matters. Our 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. We’re growing fast and just getting started. Come join us for a whale of a ride!

This is a remote position open to candidates located on the West Coast, with a preference for those based in the Seattle, WA area. We also offer an optional office space in Seattle for anyone who prefers an on-site or hybrid work environment.

Docker’s AI Tools & Security team is building the foundation for the next generation of secure, developer-friendly AI infrastructure. Our flagship product, the MCP Gateway, empowers developers to connect, observe, and secure AI agents and tools across the entire lifecycle—from prototype to production. We’re defining how developers safely harness the power of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in real-world environments.

We’re looking for a Staff Backend Engineer who thrives at the intersection of AI, security, and developer experience. You’ll lead the technical direction of the Gateway and related services, collaborating closely with Product, Design, and Security to deliver elegant frameworks and APIs that developers love to use. This is a high-velocity, high-ownership environment: you’ll ship fast, iterate constantly, and help shape the future of secure agent-based development.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications:

• 8+ years of backend engineering experience with production-grade systems

• A strong product mindset—you're excited about building developer-facing tools

• Strong grasp of software engineering best practices (code review, source control, CI/CD, testing)

• Deep knowledge of distributed and highly scalable systems, cloud-native infrastructure, and API design

• Experience building secure, high-throughput services

• Proficiency in modern programming languages (we primarily use Go).

• Ownership mentality with a bias for shipping, learning, and iterating

• Comfortable working with autonomy across distributed, remote teams.

• Experience using cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP)

• Strong written and verbal English communication skills

Bonus Qualifications:

• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and microservices architecture

• Prior experience with OpenAI, Anthropic, or similar LLM APIs, and the MCP specification

Responsibilities:

• Define the technical solution for a new product

• Help shape the product with peers in Product and Design

• Mentor other technical team members

• Be the technical point of contact for the team

What to expect

First 30 days:

• Meet team members

• Build context about the problem space and prior art

• Provide feedback on current exploration and propose next steps in line with Product and Design

First 90 days:

• Work with Product and Design on defining the product

• Attend customer calls

• Meet people across the company

• Help grow the team by participating in hiring loops

One-Year Outlook:

• Bring the product to market

We use Covey as part of our hiring and / or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT. As part of the evaluation process we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 13, 2024.

Please see the independent bias audit report covering our use of Covey here.

Perks

• Freedom & flexibility; fit your work around your life

• Designated quarterly Whaleness Days

• Home office setup; we want you comfortable while you work

• 16 weeks of paid Parental leave

• Technology stipend equivalent to $100 net/month

• PTO plan that encourages you to take time to do the things you enjoy

• Quarterly, company-wide hackathons

• 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

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.

Due to the remote nature of this role, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

#LI-REMOTE

Compensation Range: $200.4K - $275.6K