Backend Engineer (API, SQL)

About The Company 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! About The Role We’re seeking a highly experienced Staff Backend Engineer to join our dynamic engineering team. In this role, you will take ownership of our distributed systems and large-scale backend architecture, ensuring they are scalable, reliable, and performant. You will be responsible for designing, building, and operating core components of Docker Hub’s registry platform, which includes artifact storage, metadata services, indexing workflows, and performance-critical APIs. Operating in a fast-paced environment, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including SRE, Product, Design, and Platform teams to deliver high-impact solutions that support enormous growth in traffic, data, and global usage. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of distributed systems, large-scale storage solutions, and cloud-native technologies. You will act as a technical leader, simplifying complex problems, elevating engineering quality, and ensuring operational excellence across our globally critical developer platform. This role offers an exciting opportunity to influence the architecture of one of the world’s largest container image repositories and to work on innovative solutions that impact millions of developers worldwide. Qualifications 12+ years of backend engineering experience, with a focus on distributed systems and large-scale backend architectures. Extensive production experience with Golang, including designing and operating large Go-based services in cloud environments. Strong experience with Kubernetes, including managing services at scale. Proficiency in designing and running high-scale storage systems such as PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or equivalent. Experience building and maintaining cloud-based services, preferably on AWS. Knowledge of event-driven and streaming systems like Kafka, SNS/SQS, or similar technologies. Solid understanding of software engineering best practices, including design documentation, testing strategies, CI/CD pipelines, code review, and observability. Ability to work autonomously within a fully distributed, remote-first team and thrive in a fast-paced environment. Nice to have qualifications include experience with OCI registries, artifact stores, large-scale content distribution systems, familiarity with search/indexing systems, and contributions to open-source or cloud-native communities. Responsibilities Architect, build, and operate high-scale distributed systems that power Docker Hub’s registry platform, including artifact storage, metadata services, and APIs. Lead the design and implementation of backend services emphasizing scalability, correctness, resilience, and performance. Drive initiatives around multi-region replication, caching strategies, request-path optimization, and core registry reliability. Design, optimize, and operate data and storage layers for both relational and NoSQL databases, as well as object storage technologies. Develop schemas and data models supporting high-throughput, large-volume workloads, and own systems end-to-end from storage behavior to API deployment and monitoring. Enhance the performance and reliability of the platform by developing observability tools, metrics, traces, alerting, and dashboards. Improve deployment and operational tooling, including tools like Argo CD and GitHub Actions. Participate in on-call rotations, supporting critical production services and ensuring operational stability. Mentor engineering team members and lead design and architecture reviews to promote best practices and technical excellence. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful projects and engage with open-source communities and industry partners. Benefits Flexibility to work remotely with the freedom and flexibility to fit work around your life. Designated quarterly Whaleness Days for rest and rejuvenation. Home office setup support to ensure a comfortable working environment. 16 weeks of paid parental leave to support work-life balance. Technology stipend of $100 net per month to support your work needs. PTO plans encouraging time off to pursue personal interests and relaxation. Quarterly company-wide hackathons fostering innovation and team bonding. Training stipends for conferences, courses, and professional development. Equity options allowing employees to share in the company's success. Docker swag and other company perks to enhance your work experience. Comprehensive medical benefits, retirement plans, and holidays, varying by country. Equal Opportunity Docker embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We believe that an inclusive environment fosters innovation and growth. We do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. Due to the remote nature of this role, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply and join our mission to make app development accessible and efficient for all.