> Markdown version of [/jobs/48449-principal-backend-engineer-hub](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48449-principal-backend-engineer-hub). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Principal Backend Engineer, Hub - **Company:** Docker, Inc. - **Location:** United States (Remote available) - **Experience:** Expert - **Skills:** Go, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS/Google/Azure) - **Published:** August 31, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.docker.com/career-openings/?ashby_jid=9d5c3e18-eaef-4ffb-b4f1-795742fcba98 ## About the Role **Qualifications** **Required** -  Location: Remote (East Coast Preferred) - **10+ years** backend engineering experience with deep expertise in **distributed systems** and **large-scale backend architectures**. - **Strong production experience with Golang** , including designing and operating large Go-based services in cloud environments. - **Strong production experience with Kubernetes** , including operating services at scale. - Experience designing and running high-scale storage systems (PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, or equivalent) in production. - Experience building and operating cloud-based services (AWS preferred). - Experience with **event-driven or streaming systems** , such as Kafka, SNS/SQS, or equivalent. - Strong foundation in software engineering best practices: design documentation, testing strategies, CI/CD, code review, observability. - Comfortable functioning autonomously in a fully distributed, remote-first team and working effectively in a fast-paced environment. - Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience **Nice to Have** - Experience with **OCI registries** , artifact stores, or large-scale content distribution systems. - Familiarity with search/indexing systems or metadata-rich architectures. - Contributions to cloud-native or open-source ecosystems. **What We’re Looking For** - An engineer with deep experience in **distributed systems and large-scale storage** - Someone who thrives in a **fast-paced environment** and consistently optimizes for **reliability, automation, and performance**. - A technical leader who takes ownership of complex systems and drives long-term architectural direction. - An engineer energised by the challenges of operating a global developer platform at massive scale. ## Description ## **About Docker** Docker has been one of the most loved brands in developer tooling, trusted by more than 20 million monthly users and over 20 billion container image pulls. From solo founders to the world's largest companies, developers rely on Docker to build, share, and run their applications across our suite of products including Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, and Docker Scout. We are a globally distributed, remote-first team building the tools that define how software gets built and delivered. As AI agents redefine software development, Docker is at the center of that shift, providing the sandboxed environments, verified images, and secure infrastructure that make autonomous workflows trustworthy by default. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ We’re looking for a **Principal Backend Engineer** with extensive experience in **distributed systems** , large-scale backend architecture, and high-volume storage systems. You will own systems end-to-end—from schema design and API architecture to deployment, observability, and operational excellence. The work is highly dynamic, and you will operate in a **fast-paced environment** where we continuously evolve the platform to support enormous growth in traffic, data, and global usage. You’ll collaborate across engineering, SRE, Product, and Design while acting as a technical leader who simplifies complexity, elevates engineering quality, and improves a globally critical developer platform. If you’re passionate about building and operating massive-scale distributed systems with huge data and throughput demands, this role is for you. **Responsibilities** **Distributed Systems & Backend Engineering** - Architect, build, and operate **high-scale distributed systems** powering Docker Hub’s registry platform—spanning artifact storage, metadata services, indexing workflows, and performance-critical APIs. - Lead the design and implementation of backend services with a strong emphasis on **scalability, correctness, resilience, and performance**. - Drive major initiatives around **multi-region replication, caching strategies, request-path optimization** , and core registry reliability. **Data Infrastructure & Storage** - Design, optimize, operate the data and storage layers - for both Relational and NoSql as well as object storage and related technologies. - Develop schemas and data models to support high-throughput, large-volume workloads. - Own systems end-to-end—from storage-layer behavior to API design, deployment workflows, and production monitoring. **Operations, Observability & Scale** - Improve the performance and reliability of one of the world’s largest repositories of container images. - Develop and enhance observability through metrics, traces, alerting, and dashboards. - Lead improvements to deployment and operational tooling (e.g., Argo CD, GitHub Actions). - Participate in on-call rotations as part of supporting critical production services. **Leadership & Collaboration** - Mentor engineers and lead design and architecture reviews. - Partner with Product, Design, SRE, and Platform teams to deliver high-impact projects. - Engage with open-source communities, cloud-native partners, and the broader ecosystem. - This role may require participation in an on-call rotation to provide support outside of standard business hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed. ## About Docker, Inc. At Docker, we simplify the lives of developers who are making world-changing apps. Docker helps developers bring their ideas to reality by conquering the complexity of app development. We simplify and accelerate workflows with an integrated development pipeline and application components. Actively used by millions of developers around the world, Docker Desktop and Docker Hub provide unmatched simplicity, agility and choice. **Industries:** Computer Software [Company profile](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/companies/3543-docker-inc) ### More Jobs at Docker, Inc. - [Principal Software Engineer, Networking](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48454-principal-software-engineer-networking) - [Principal Software Engineer, Docker Agents](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48452-principal-software-engineer-docker-agents) - [Principal Software Engineer, Docker Hardened Images](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48453-principal-software-engineer-docker-hardened-images) - [Principal Software Engineer, AI Tools and Security](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48450-principal-software-engineer-ai-tools-and-security) - [Senior Manager, Engineering, Local Runtime](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/48455-senior-manager-engineering-local-runtime) ## Related Videos - [One Platform Could Not Fit Them All](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1919-one-platform-could-not-fit-them-all) - [Go's Concurrency and Parallelism Inside Containers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100058-go-s-concurrency-and-parallelism-inside-containers) - [Cloud as the new mainframe: why the cloud hype does not reflect the dev reality](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/797-cloud-as-the-new-mainframe-why-the-cloud-hype-does-not-reflect-the-dev-reality) - [Understanding Kubernetes in a visual way](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100085-understanding-kubernetes-in-a-visual-way) - [Coffee With Developers - Kyle Daigle, COO of GitHub](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/910-coffee-with-developers-kyle-daigle-coo-of-github) - [Instant KAI Sandboxes with vCluster: Multi-Tenant, Multi-Scheduler GPU Sharing](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100333-instant-kai-sandboxes-with-vcluster-multi-tenant-multi-scheduler-gpu-sharing) ## Related Articles - [How We Built a Worry-Free System That Runs for 10+ Years – And What We’d Do Again](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/751-how-we-built-a-worry-free-system-that-runs-for-10-years-and-what-we-d-do-again) - [20 Essential Tools For Backend Development](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/218-20-essential-tools-for-backend-development) - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [Find a Developer Job: 12 Best Job Sites For Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/165-find-a-developer-job-12-best-job-sites-for-developers)