Senior Principal Software Engineer, Infrastructure
Technical visionary architecting Docker's foundational platform for accounts, billing, data, governance, and infrastructure. Drives cross-company strategy enabling enterprise growth, requiring 12+ years experience in large-scale distributed systems.
About the job
Responsibilities
Technical Vision & Strategic Planning
- Define and own multi-year technical vision for foundational platform
- Establish strategic plans and architectural decisions aligning with business objectives
- Collaborate with VP of Engineering on technical roadmaps spanning multiple teams
- Identify high-leverage platform investments
- Develop architectural principles and standards
- Anticipate future business needs for platform flexibility
Cross-Company Technical Leadership
- Lead cross-company programs across Desktop, Hub, AI, Security, Cloud, Platform teams
- Architect unified platform interfaces (Control Planes)
- Drive system convergence for authentication, authorization, billing, observability
- Establish technical contracts between platform and product teams
- Lead architectural reviews
- Proactively solve business-critical problems
Billing & Monetization Platform Architecture
- Architect Billing Control Plane for rapid SKU launches
- Design usage-based billing supporting complex pricing models
- Ensure commercial flexibility for bundles, contracts, experimentation
- Define metering infrastructure for usage events
- Build scalable, accurate billing systems
Accounts & Identity Platform Architecture
- Design metadata-driven identity platform
- Architect account infrastructure for enterprise requirements
- Define Centralized Access Control Service
- Support consumer and enterprise scale
- Design migration paths for existing users
Enterprise Governance Platform Architecture
- Architect Unified Internal Access Control Endpoint
- Design Enterprise Command Center
- Define group management and RBAC with IdP sync
- Build audit logging and observability for compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
- Enable enterprise-ready new products
Data Platform Architecture
- Define canonical data models
- Architect real-time streaming infrastructure
- Design self-service data capabilities
- Support operational and analytical needs
- Eliminate conflicting metrics
Infrastructure & Developer Experience Architecture
- Define infrastructure platform vision
- Architect standardized deployment patterns
- Support AI and agent initiatives
- Establish observability standards
- Drive cost optimization
Technical Excellence & Influence
- Drive operations and strategy with senior leaders
- Mentor Staff and Principal engineers
- Represent externally via blogs, talks
- Participate in executive technical discussions
- Drive build-vs-buy decisions
Qualifications
Required
Technical Expertise
- 12+ years software engineering with platform domain expertise (identity, billing, data, infrastructure)
- Track record architecting large-scale distributed systems
- Deep expertise in ≥2 platform domains
- Broad knowledge across all domains
- Expert API design, service architecture, integration at scale
- Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure); Kubernetes, service mesh, IaC
- Bachelor's in CS/Engineering or equivalent
Strategic & Business Impact
- Strategic plans enabling business outcomes
- Translate business to technical roadmaps
- Prioritize high-leverage investments
- SaaS business models knowledge
- Build-vs-buy experience
Leadership & Influence
- Drive cross-company programs
- Work with VPs/executives on strategy
- Influence without authority
- Strong communication
- Mentor senior engineers
Enterprise Platform Experience
- Platforms for enterprise governance/compliance
- Security/compliance knowledge
- Identity federation (OIDC, SAML, SCIM)
- Enterprise billing complexity
Preferred
- Developer tools/infra/SaaS experience
- Container tech (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Multi-pricing billing platforms
- Legacy migrations
- Data platforms (streaming, warehousing)
- FinOps/cost optimization
- Advanced degree
- External technical recognition
Perks & Benefits
- Remote-first culture
- Freedom & flexibility
- Home office setup, tech stipend
- 16 weeks paid parental leave
- PTO, training stipend
- Equity
- Medical benefits, retirement (varies by country)
- Offices in Seattle and Paris
Skills
Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure, API Design, Distributed Systems, Identity Management, Billing Systems, RBAC, Real-Time Streaming
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