Senior Software Engineer, Docker Desktop, Desktop Systems Focus

About the role

You will design, develop, and maintain the core lifecycle components of Docker Desktop, including installation, updating, startup, and system services across macOS, Windows, and Linux. You will own the desktop and operating system layer of Docker Desktop, ensuring installers, system services, and OS-level integrations are reliable, performant, and secure. You will operate with high ownership, driving work autonomously while communicating clearly through documentation and technical design. You will collaborate closely with platform and feature teams to ensure seamless integration with shared components and contribute to knowledge sharing across the Desktop ecosystem. You will debug complex system-level issues to improve stability and user experience across the full product lifecycle. You will write high-quality code with strong test coverage to support healthy engineering practices. 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.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design, develop, and maintain lifecycle components, including installation, update, startup, and system services.
• Improve reliability and performance of Docker Desktop across macOS, Windows, and Linux environments.
• Work on OS-level integrations, permissions models, and system behavior such as admin vs admin-less installs.
• Debug and resolve complex issues related to startup, crashes, and system interactions.
• Collaborate with platform and feature teams to ensure seamless integration with 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.
• 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.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience building backend software, with recent demonstrated hands-on Go (Golang) proficiency. We are looking for strong backend and platform engineering experience for this role.
• Strong understanding of operating systems (macOS, Windows, or Linux), including system APIs and behavior.
• Demonstrated ability to design modular, maintainable system components that scale across teams.
• Ability to debug complex system-level issues and improve reliability and performance.
• Experience designing modular, maintainable components used by other teams.
• 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.
• 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.

Practical notes

This is a 100% remote role. However, this role is currently only open to candidates currently living in the East Coast time zone (US or Canada). We are unable to make exceptions to this location requirement.

What to Expect

First 30 Days

• Meet your team, your onboarding buddy, and key collaborators across Docker Desktop.
• Set up your development environment and become familiar with the Desktop Platform architecture, lifecycle systems, and key interfaces.
• Begin contributing to design discussions and delivering improvements for installation, updates, startup, and system services.

30 to 60 Days

• Take ownership of one or more lifecycle components and drive them to production readiness.
• Deepen your understanding of Docker Desktop's interactions with the OS, including permissions, networking, and security boundaries.
• Participate in on-call rotations to respond to critical issues in production.

60 to 90 Days

• Lead improvements in reliability, performance, and user experience for your assigned components.
• Collaborate with platform teams to align interfaces and shared services.
• Mentor newer engineers on best practices for system-level development and testing.

Compensation and Benefits

Docker offers a competitive total compensation package that includes base salary and equity awards. Specific compensation levels are based on factors such as the candidate's location, relevant skills, and experience. Pay bands for this role vary by location and are set based on job-related factors, including the work performed, Docker's current assessment of the role's market data, and other relevant factors.

Benefits may include comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage; flexible vacation policies; retirement savings plans; and professional development opportunities. Detailed benefit plans vary by location and eligibility requirements apply. All benefits are subject to change and governed by applicable plan documents and laws.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Docker is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Why 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. Docker Desktop is one of the core pillars of the Docker suite, powering the workflows of millions of developers worldwide. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Docker has been ranked the most-used, most-desired, and most-admired developer tool for multiple years running. Join the Docker Desktop team - we are shaping the experience behind one of the most loved tools in modern software development!