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- Tasks: Lead the development of innovative containerized AI agents and shape Docker's technical vision.
- Company: Join Docker, a global leader in app development with a remote-first culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work, competitive pay, and generous parental leave.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on the future of AI technology and developer experiences.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in software engineering with strong Go expertise and leadership experience.
- Other info: Be part of a diverse team with excellent growth opportunities and a focus on innovation.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
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 are looking for a Principal Software Engineer (Docker Agents) to join Docker's AI engineering team to build the future of containerized AI agents.
You will 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 will 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.
Responsibilities
- 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.
- Mentorship & Enablement: Mentor senior engineers, raise the bar through design reviews, and accelerate team execution through clear technical direction and coaching.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 3+ years in technical leadership roles.
- Go Expertise: Strong proficiency in Go - 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 to Expect
- 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 are solving.
- First 90 days: Lead significant platform features or architectural improvements to cagent and our containerized agent ecosystem.
- One-Year Outlook: Drive major architectural decisions for our containerized agent platform that will impact millions of Docker users.
Docker does not offer visa sponsorship for this role. Docker embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.
Principal Software Engineer, Docker Agents (London) employer: Docker
Contact Detail:
Docker Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Principal Software Engineer, Docker Agents (London)
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current Docker employees on LinkedIn or at tech meetups. A friendly chat can give you insider info and maybe even a referral, which can really boost your chances.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a GitHub profile, make sure it’s up to date with your best projects. Highlight any contributions to open-source projects, especially if they relate to Docker or AI—this will catch their eye!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Docker's tech stack and recent projects. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals, especially around containerized AI agents. Confidence is key!
✨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, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Docker family.
We think you need these skills to ace Principal Software Engineer, Docker Agents (London)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Innovation: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for innovation shine through! We love seeing candidates who are excited about building great developer experiences and can articulate how their skills align with our mission at Docker.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Make sure to showcase your experience in software engineering, especially in technical leadership roles. We want to see how your background in Go and container technology can contribute to our AI engineering team and the cagent project.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language to describe your achievements and how they relate to the role. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our remote-first team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Docker
✨Know Your Go
Since Docker's primary language is Go, make sure you brush up on your Go skills. Be prepared to discuss your experience with Go in detail, including any projects you've worked on and challenges you've faced. This will show that you're not just familiar with the language but can also apply it effectively.
✨Understand Container Technology
Dive deep into Docker and containerization best practices. Familiarise yourself with how Docker containers work, their advantages, and common pitfalls. Being able to articulate how you would leverage Docker for AI agents will demonstrate your technical prowess and alignment with the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
As a Principal Software Engineer, you'll need to exhibit strong leadership skills. Prepare examples of how you've led teams, made architectural decisions, and mentored other engineers. Highlighting your ability to influence and communicate across technical and business domains will set you apart.
✨Engage with the Open Source Community
Since you'll be working on the open-source cagent project, it's crucial to show your engagement with the community. Discuss any contributions you've made to open-source projects or how you've collaborated with others in the tech community. This will reflect your commitment to collaboration and innovation.