Senior Software Engineer, Docker Desktop, Desktop Systems Focus

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain lifecycle components, including installation, updates, startup, and system services.
• Improve Docker Desktop reliability and performance across macOS, Windows, and Linux.
• Build OS-level integrations, permissions models, and system behaviors such as administrator and administrator-less installs.
• Debug and resolve complex issues involving startup, crashes, and system interactions.
• Collaborate with platform and feature teams to integrate 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.
• Participate in an on-call rotation, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience building backend software, with recent hands-on Go (Golang) proficiency.
• Strong backend and platform engineering experience.
• Strong understanding of operating systems, including macOS, Windows, or Linux system APIs and behavior.
• Ability to design modular, maintainable system components that scale across teams.
• Ability to debug complex system-level issues and improve reliability and performance.
• 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.

Compensation & Benefits

• United States compensation: $160,900–$260,700 plus equity.
• Remote-first flexibility.
• Quarterly and end-of-year Whaleness Days.
• Home office setup support.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave after six months of employment.
• Technology stipend of $100 USD net per month.
• PTO plan.
• Training stipend for conferences, courses, and classes.
• Equity participation.
• Medical benefits, retirement, and holidays vary by country.