Senior Software Engineer, Docker Desktop (Desktop Systems Focus) (East Coast)

Docker

1d•Remote

About The Position

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! Docker Desktop is one of the core pillars of the Docker suite - powering the workflows of millions of developers worldwide. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Docker has been ranked the most-used, most-desired, and most-admired developer tool for multiple years running. You would be joining the Desktop Platform team,shaping the experience behind one of the most loved tools in modern software development. The Desktop Platform team is responsible for the core lifecycle of Docker Desktop, including installation, updates, startup, and key shared components used by every Docker Desktop feature team. Our work ensures that Docker Desktop is reliable, and easy to adopt, while providing the modular foundations that enable other teams to build and ship with confidence. In this role, you will focus on the desktop and operating system layer of Docker Desktop. You’ll work on installers, updaters, system services, and OS-level integrations across macOS and Windows, improving reliability, performance, and user experience across the full lifecycle of the product. The successful candidate will have strong operating system fundamentals and experience building or maintaining desktop or system-level software. For this role, you must be comfortable working close to the OS, debugging complex issues, and improving how software installs, starts, and runs on user machines. You’ll operate with high ownership, communicate clearly through documentation, and are comfortable driving work in a highly autonomous environment.

Requirements

6+ years of experience building backend software, with recent demonstrated hands-on Go (Golang) proficiency. We are looking for strong backend and platform engineering experience for this role.
Strong understanding of operating systems (macOS, Windows, or Linux), including system APIs and behavior
Demonstrated ability to design modular, maintainable system components that scale across teams.
Ability to debug complex system-level issues and improve reliability and performance.
Experience designing modular, maintainable components used by other teams.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work through ambiguity.
Excellent communication skills, including written documentation and technical design discussions
Willingness to learn Go and contribute to a Go-based codebase.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience with cross-platform desktop development.
Familiarity with virtualization, networking, or container technologies.
Experience with telemetry, diagnostics, or system observability.
Exposure to release engineering or CI/CD systems.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain lifecycle components, including installation, update, startup, and system services.
Improve reliability and performance of Docker Desktop across macOS,Windows and Linux environments.
Work on OS-level integrations, permissions models, and system behavior such as admin vs admin-less installs.
Debug and resolve complex issues related to startup, crashes, and system interactions.
Collaborate with platform and feature teams to ensure seamless integration with shared components.
Contribute to documentation, technical design discussions, and knowledge sharing across the Desktop ecosystem.
Write high-quality code with strong test coverage and support healthy engineering practices.

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
Technology stipend equivalent to $100 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