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.
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We're looking for a Staff Sales Engineer who's energized by solving hard, emerging problems at the intersection of AI, security, and software delivery. You will act as a trusted technical advisor and champion owner, partnering closely with Account Executives, Post Sales, and Product teams to drive measurable business and technical value through:
Technical Selling and Deal Shaping
AI Governance and Security Thought leadership
Technical Champion Ownership and Thought Leadership
Customer and Internal Advocacy
Competitive and Strategic Selling
This role suits people who like translating deep technical complexity into business clarity, who are comfortable being one of the first to help define a category, and who bring varied backgrounds and ways of thinking to how we solve customer problems.
As a Staff Sales Engineer, you will be reporting to the Solutions Engineering leadership team and operate at the intersection of technical depth, business acumen, and competitive selling discipline.
Responsibilities
Technical Selling and Deal Shaping
Lead deep technical discovery across Platform Engineering, DevOps, Security, and AI/ML teams to understand:
AI governance requirements for agentic development (shadow AI, ungoverned MCP tools, agents holding real developer credentials)
Software supply chain risk posture
Regulatory and compliance drivers (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI Risk Management Framework)
Secure development lifecycle requirements
Shape technical requirements early in the sales cycle to align customer outcomes with Docker's differentiated value in AI governance, container security, and software supply chain integrity.
Design, position, and execute structured PoCs/PoVs focused on:
Sandbox, network, and MCP tool policy enforcement
Image and artifact integrity (Docker Hardened Images, SLSA Build Level 3 provenance, verifiable SBOMs)
Software supply chain visibility
Agent and MCP tool governance controls
Secure build pipelines
Define clear success criteria, evaluation frameworks, and executive-ready value summaries.
Influence decision-making through demos, workshops, architecture reviews, and technical executive briefings.
Translate complex AI security and governance capabilities into clear business value narratives for CISOs, Heads of Platform Engineering, and AI leaders.
AI Governance and Security Thought Leadership
Establish credibility as a trusted advisor on:
Responsible AI development practices
Secure AI model lifecycle management
Software supply chain integrity (SLSA provenance, SBOMs, verified base images)
Container and artifact security
DevSecOps best practices
Guide customers in implementing governance controls across AI-enabled SDLC workflows.
Provide architectural guidance for:
Agentic AI development environments and runtime isolation (sandboxing)
Policy-as-code enforcement across agents, tools, and machines
MCP tool governance and allow-listing
Identity and access governance for AI workloads (IdP-based role and policy assignment)
Audit, logging, and SIEM visibility for agent activity
Act as a subject matter expert on secure software supply chain and AI security trends in customer-facing engagements.
Technical Champion Ownership and Thought Leadership
Build, own, and expand relationships with technical champions across Security, DevOps, Platform, and AI teams.
Establish credibility as a trusted advisor through technical thought leadership, architectural guidance, and industry best practices.
Leverage champion relationships to influence broader buying groups, shape requirements, and uncover cross-sell and expansion opportunities.
Maintain engagement beyond the initial sale, ensuring outcomes are realized and leveraging insights to support future sales motions.
Customer and Internal Advocacy
Advocate for customer needs with Product and Engineering, providing clear, actionable feedback informed by field experience.
Coordinate with Post Sales and Support resources to ensure continuity across the customer lifecycle.
Develop reusable technical assets (workshops, demos, reference architectures, enablement content) to scale impact across accounts.
Competitive and Strategic Selling
Actively support competitive sales motions by identifying differentiation and influencing evaluation criteria throughout the sales cycle.
Partner with Sales to develop technical win strategies for strategic and competitive accounts.
Qualifications
We know strong candidates come from a range of paths, and that confidence gaps keep some excellent candidates from applying to roles like this. If you meet most of what's below and are excited about the rest, please apply.
Experience as a Sales Engineer, Solutions Engineer, or Solutions Architect in complex enterprise sales.
Strong experience running competitive PoCs/PoVs with clearly defined success and exit criteria.
Ability to engage credibly with senior technical and business stakeholders, including security and platform leadership.
Solid understanding of cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), containers, DevOps, and modern application architectures.
Experience with Docker, container ecosystems, or adjacent technologies strongly preferred.
Development, agentic AI development, software development lifecycle, and/or software supply chain experience strongly preferred.
Familiarity with AI governance, secure software supply chain (SLSA, SBOMs), MCP or agentic tooling, and DevSecOps practices strongly preferred.
Must be fluent in English.
Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills.
Willingness to travel to customer sites up to 25%.
What to Expect
First 30 days
You will be welcomed with a first-in-class onboarding experience that includes equipment setup, a sweet swag package, and a collaborative training program working with an onboarding peer.
You will learn how to navigate award-winning sales tools such as Salesforce, Opine, Sigma, and Docker.
You will actively engage with senior stakeholders and manage relationships with clients.
You will work closely with your peers and partner with SEs to develop strategies to advocate for our customers.
At the end of your first month, you will have a proficient grasp of the tools and activities necessary to be successful in your role.
First 60 days
You will be laser-focused on supporting the sales teams during your second month.
You will have connected with all of your team members.
You will gain in-depth knowledge of Docker's products and how they impact our customers.
You will have an advanced understanding of tools, activities, and best practices to be successful in your role.
First 90 days
In month three, you will be confident in your craft and ready to immerse yourself fully in our customers' business needs.
You will continue efforts to improve messaging, processes, and activities.
You will educate our clients about our product roadmap and undertake product training for users.
You will be ready to operate independently at full speed.
Docker does not offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Compensation & Equity
EU: €141,400– €202,000 OTE + equity
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Posting Information
Open vacancy: This posting is for an existing open role.
AI in hiring: Docker may use AI-assisted tools during our recruiting process.
Interview recordings: Candidates will be invited to opt in to interview recordings to support interviewer calibration and consistent evaluations. Recordings are optional and require explicit consent.
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Perks & Benefits
Remote-first by design – Work from your home, with offices in Seattle and Paris for connection and collaboration.
Flexibility that fits your life – We trust you to manage your schedule while delivering great work.
Time to recharge – Generous PTO, designated quarterly Whaleness Days, and a designated end-of-year Whaleness break.
Home office support – Set up your workspace for comfort and success.
Technology stipend – Equivalent to US$100 net per month to help support your work.
Learning & development – Annual stipend for conferences, courses, certifications, and continued learning.
Parental leave – 16 weeks of paid parental leave after six months of employment.
Equity for all full-time employees – Share in Docker's long-term success as we continue to grow.
Comprehensive benefits – Medical, retirement, and paid holidays vary by country.
Docker swag – Because representing the whale never gets old.
Docker is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe diverse teams build better products, make better decisions, and better serve our global community.
