[Remote] Principal Backend Engineer, Hub (US East Coast)

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Docker, Inc is a leading brand in developer tooling, trusted by millions of users. They are seeking a Principal Backend Engineer with extensive experience in distributed systems and backend architecture to lead the design and implementation of high-scale systems and collaborate across teams to enhance Docker's platform.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and operate high-scale distributed systems powering Docker Hub’s registry platform—spanning artifact storage, metadata services, indexing workflows, and performance-critical APIs
• 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, operate the data and storage layers - for both Relational and NoSql as well as object storage and related technologies
• Develop schemas and data models to support high-throughput, large-volume workloads
• Own systems end-to-end—from storage-layer behavior to API design, deployment workflows, and production monitoring
• 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 (e.g., Argo CD, GitHub Actions)
• 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
• Engage with open-source communities, cloud-native partners, and the broader ecosystem

Skills

• 10+ years 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 (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or equivalent) in production
• Experience building and operating cloud-based services (AWS preferred)
• Experience with event-driven or streaming systems, such as Kafka, SNS/SQS, or equivalent
• Strong foundation in software engineering best practices: design documentation, testing strategies, CI/CD, code review, observability
• Comfortable functioning autonomously in a fully distributed, remote-first team and working effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Experience with OCI registries, artifact stores, or large-scale content distribution systems
• Familiarity with search/indexing systems or metadata-rich architectures
• Contributions to cloud-native or open-source ecosystems

Benefits

• 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

Company Overview

Company H1B Sponsorship