Staff Program Manager, Engineering Operations (Production Readiness)

At Docker, we make app development easier so developers can focus on what matters. Our remote-first team spans the globe, united by a passion for innovation and great developer experiences. With over 20 million monthly users and 20 billion image pulls, Docker is the #1 tool for building, sharing, and running apps—trusted by startups and Fortune 100s alike. We’re growing fast and just getting started. Come join us for a whale of a ride!

This is a remote position open to candidates based in Seattle, WA. Although the role is remote, we do have an office available should you prefer to work on-site.

As Docker scales its product portfolio and platform capabilities, we are creating a Staff Engineering Operations Program Manager role focused on defining, operationalizing, and scaling expectations of engineering and release excellence.

This role owns the cross-functional programs, standards, and operating mechanisms that ensure new products and services are secure, reliable, compliant, operable, and supportable before and after launch. You will partner closely with Engineering, Product, Security, Legal, Platform, and Go-to-Market teams to turn expectations into clear baseline requirements and repeatable execution that is embedded into the technology stack of Docker for consistency, scale, and adaptability.

This is a highly strategic, execution-heavy role requiring strong technical judgment, systems thinking, and the ability to influence across the organization without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Define and operationalize “production readiness” standards across security, reliability, privacy, compliance, operability, UI quality, and platform integration.

• Design and lead company-wide programs that establish baseline requirements for launching and operating new products and services.

• Partner with engineering, product, security, platform, product, and go-to-market leaders to align expectations and ownership across the product lifecycle.

• Translate abstract risk and quality concerns into concrete, actionable requirements, checklists, and decision criteria.

• Create scalable launch and readiness frameworks that balance rigor with speed in a fast-moving environment.

• Own cross-functional launch readiness reviews and decision forums, ensuring risks are surfaced early and resolved intentionally.

• Establish clear visibility into launch health, operational risk, and readiness gaps through SDLC governance, automated guardrails, and lightweight metrics and reporting.

• Identify systemic gaps in tooling, processes, or ownership that create production risk, and drive remediation programs.

• Reduce friction for teams shipping products by providing clarity, support institutionalizing requirements and repeatable mechanisms within dev tools, and maintain the need for agility and iterative flexibility.

• Continuously evolve standards and programs as Docker’s products, customers, and regulatory environment mature.

• Mentor TPMs and engineering partners on large-scale execution, risk management, and cross-functional coordination.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in technical program management, engineering operations, or platform/production readiness roles, including Staff-level or equivalent scope.

• Proven success leading cross-company programs that define and enforce engineering or operational standards.

• Strong technical background in cloud platforms, distributed systems, and enterprise software.

• Experience partnering with security, engineering, platform, product and go-to-market teams.

• Demonstrated ability to operate in high-ambiguity environments, turning unclear expectations into clear operating models.

• Exceptional influence, communication, and facilitation skills across senior technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Track record of building scalable, lightweight processes that improve outcomes without slowing teams down.

• Experience in distributed or remote-first organizations.

What to Expect

First 30 Days

• Learn Docker’s product architecture, platform capabilities, and existing launch and readiness practices.

• Build relationships with Engineering, Product, Security, Legal, Platform, and Go-To-Market leaders.

• Review recent launches to understand what is currently in place, friction points, and gaps.

• Identify where expectations for production readiness are unclear, inconsistent, or implicit.

First 90 Days

• Define a clear, shared definition of “production readiness” aligned across stakeholders.
Launch one or more foundational readiness programs..

• Improve visibility into launch risk and readiness status for leadership.

• Reduce ad hoc escalation and last-minute launch blockers.

One Year Outlook

• Establish durable, scalable production readiness standards and programs used consistently across teams.

• Make launches more predictable, lower-risk, and easier to execute at scale (i.e. “readiness diagnostics reporting”, etc.)

• Reduce production incidents, compliance gaps, and post-launch remediation work.

• Embed readiness thinking into planning and execution, not just release moments.

• Be recognized as the owner of “how we safely and responsibly ship” at Docker.

Docker does not offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We use Covey as part of our hiring and / or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT. As part of the evaluation process we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 13, 2024.

Please see the independent bias audit report covering our use of Covey here.

Perks

• Freedom & flexibility; fit your work around your life

• Designated quarterly Whaleness Days plus end of year Whaleness break

• Home office setup; we want you comfortable while you work

• 16 weeks of paid Parental leave

• Technology stipend equivalent to $100 net/month

• PTO plan that encourages you to take time to do the things you enjoy

• Training stipend for conferences, courses and classes

• Equity; we are a growing start-up and want all employees to have a share in the success of the company

• Docker Swag

• Medical benefits, retirement and holidays vary by country

• Remote-first culture, with offices in Seattle and Paris

Docker embraces diversity and equal opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our company will be.

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