At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the development of containerized AI agents using Docker technology.
- Company: Join a pioneering tech company at the forefront of AI and containerization.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with a focus on mentorship and community engagement.
- Why this job: Shape the future of AI with cutting-edge technology and innovative projects.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software engineering, strong Go expertise, and leadership experience required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
Requirements
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years in technical leadership roles (Staff/Principal level or equivalent scope)
- Go Expertise: Strong proficiency in Go (this is absolutely required) - Docker’s primary language for backend systems
- AI/ML Knowledge: Practical experience with large language models (LLMs) and agent development patterns
- System Architecture: Proven ability to design scalable, distributed systems in production environments
- Container Technology: Deep understanding of Docker, containerization best practices, and container orchestration
- Cloud/Platform Depth: Experience building and operating platform services with strong foundations in observability, CI/CD, and security principles
- Operational Excellence: Experience operating and evolving high-availability production systems with a focus on reliability and performance
- Influence & Communication: Exceptional communication skills and ability to influence across technical and business domains
- AI Frameworks: Experience with CrewAI, AGNO, ADK, LangChain/LangGraph or similar AI orchestration frameworks (preferred)
- Python Proficiency: Experience with Python for AI prototyping and tooling (preferred)
- Experience with Kubernetes or container orchestration platforms (preferred)
- Open source contributions and community engagement (preferred)
- Experience with agent evaluation, reliability, and observability techniques (preferred)
What the job involves
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer (Docker Agents) to join Docker’s AI engineering team to build the future of containerized AI agents. Docker containers are the perfect vehicle to host and run AI agents—providing isolation, portability, and reproducibility. You’ll be working on cagent, our open-source project, and expanding on it to enable developers to build, deploy, and scale intelligent agents using Docker’s container technology. This is a greenfield opportunity to shape how developers leverage containers for AI agents at massive scale. You’ll define the technical vision, lead architecture decisions, and partner with engineers and leaders across Docker to bring containerized agent capabilities into Docker’s developer experience.
Technical Leadership & Architecture: Define and drive the long-term technical strategy for Docker’s containerized agent platform, including core primitives, APIs, and extensibility patterns.
Build Containerized Agent Systems: Design and implement systems that leverage Docker containers as the ideal runtime for AI agents, ensuring isolation, scalability, and portability.
Expand cagent: Maintain and evolve the open-source cagent project, adding new capabilities for containerized agent deployment, orchestration, and lifecycle management.
Agent Runtime Development: Build robust infrastructure for packaging, deploying, and managing agents in containers across local and cloud environments.
Evaluation & Testing: Define evaluation frameworks to measure agent quality, reliability, and production readiness; plus the deployment effectiveness of containerized runtimes.
Reliability & Operability: Establish standards for observability, performance, and operational excellence; lead critical production decision-making and incident learnings as needed.
Rapid Prototyping: Iterate quickly on new agent capabilities and deployment patterns, moving from concept to production efficiently.
Open Source Community: Engage with the cagent community, review contributions, and help grow the ecosystem.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Lead cross-functional technical discussions and influence architectural decisions across Docker’s AI initiatives (including sister teams and platform efforts).
Mentorship & Enablement: Mentor senior engineers, raise the bar through design reviews, and accelerate team execution through clear technical direction and coaching.
First 30 days: Integrate into our AI engineering team building containerized agent infrastructure. Deep dive into cagent’s architecture, project roadmap, and the developer problems we’re solving. Identify the highest-leverage architectural and execution risks/opportunities; align with stakeholders on priorities. Contribute initial improvements to cagent and the containerized agent runtime foundations.
First 90 days: Lead significant platform features or architectural improvements to cagent and our containerized agent ecosystem. Establish (or materially improve) technical standards for evaluation, reliability, and operability of agent systems. Drive alignment across internal teams on APIs, integration points, and a cohesive developer experience. Mentor engineers through design reviews and help accelerate onboarding and execution.
One-Year Outlook: Drive major architectural decisions for our containerized agent platform that will impact millions of Docker users. Shape the long-term technical vision and execution plan for Docker’s agent ecosystem (open-source and product surfaces). Establish repeatable engineering practices for quality, performance, and operational excellence in agent systems. Lead initiatives to expand containerized agent capabilities for enterprise use cases and broader platform integrations. Grow the team’s technical capabilities through mentorship, strategy, and pragmatic delivery.
Principal Software Engineer (Docker Agents) employer: Deepstreamtech
Docker is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of innovation and collaboration, making it an ideal place for a Principal Software Engineer to thrive. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of containerized AI agents while working alongside talented professionals in a supportive environment. Located in a vibrant tech hub, Docker offers unique advantages such as access to cutting-edge technology, open-source community engagement, and a commitment to operational excellence, ensuring that your contributions will have a meaningful impact.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer (Docker Agents)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with folks in the industry. Attend meetups, webinars, or even local tech events. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! Create a portfolio that highlights your best projects, especially those involving Go, Docker, or AI. Share it on platforms like GitHub and make sure to link it in your profiles. This way, potential employers can see what you're capable of.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by practising common technical questions and scenarios related to software engineering and container technology. Mock interviews with friends or using online platforms can help you feel more confident and ready to impress.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search!
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer (Docker Agents)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Go Skills:Make sure to highlight your strong proficiency in Go, as it's a must-have for this role. Share specific projects or experiences where you've used Go effectively, especially in backend systems.
Talk About Your Leadership Experience:Since we're looking for someone with technical leadership experience, don’t shy away from discussing your past roles. Share how you've influenced teams and made architectural decisions that led to successful outcomes.
Demonstrate Your AI/ML Knowledge:If you've worked with large language models or AI frameworks, let us know! Mention any relevant projects or contributions that showcase your understanding of AI and how it relates to container technology.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to see your application and get you into the process smoothly. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Deepstreamtech
✨Master the Go Language
Since strong proficiency in Go is absolutely required, make sure you brush up on your Go skills. Prepare to discuss your past projects and how you've used Go to solve complex problems, especially in relation to Docker and containerization.
✨Showcase Your Technical Leadership
With over 10 years of experience needed, be ready to share specific examples of your technical leadership. Discuss how you've influenced architectural decisions and mentored other engineers, highlighting your ability to drive a team towards success.
✨Demonstrate Your AI/ML Knowledge
Familiarise yourself with large language models and agent development patterns. Be prepared to talk about your experience with AI frameworks like CrewAI or LangChain, and how you've applied them in real-world scenarios.
✨Engage with the Open Source Community
Since you'll be working on the cagent project, it’s crucial to show your engagement with open source contributions. Discuss any relevant projects you've contributed to, and how you can help grow the cagent community and ecosystem.
