Staff Solutions Engineer (Japan)

Job 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 are seeking a bilingual Staff Solution Engineer with strong technical credibility, a genuine interest in the Japanese developer community, and the ability to operate across partner, enterprise, and market evangelist motions simultaneously. This is Docker's dedicated SE resource in Japan — a market that runs a partner-led model where the SE is expected to enable the channel, build community presence, and anchor the most complex strategic opportunities. Japan is Docker's second-largest APAC market and a strategic investment priority. This role reports to the SE Leader, APAC. RESPONSIBILITIES Partner Enablement and Channel Development - Enable and co-sell with Docker's channel partner SE team to deliver local-language technical coverage across Japan. - Run joint partner workshops, technical enablement sessions, and solution briefings to build partner SE capability. - Support partner-led opportunities with architectural depth, PoC support, and competitive differentiation. - Develop and maintain partner-ready technical assets in Japanese: demo environments, reference architectures, and enablement decks. - Build strong working relationships with key distributor and reseller contacts to support pipeline development. Evangelist and Community Presence - Build Docker's technical presence in the Japanese developer and DevSecOps community. - Speak at industry and partner-organised conferences. - Produce Japanese-language technical content: blog posts, how-to guides, and solution briefs that address local-market gaps in Docker documentation and community resources. - Represent Docker at meetups, developer days, and hackathons to drive awareness and top-of-funnel interest. Strategic Customer Engagement - Lead deep technical discovery across Platform Engineering, DevOps, Security, and AI teams at strategic accounts to understand: - AI governance requirements and agentic development workflows - Software supply chain risk and secure build pipeline needs - Regulatory and compliance drivers relevant to the Japanese market - Container security posture and DevSecOps maturity - Design, position, and execute structured PoCs/PoVs with clear success criteria and executive-ready value summaries. - Influence buying decisions through demos, workshops, architecture reviews, and technical executive briefings. - Translate Docker's AI security and governance capabilities into business value narratives for CISOs, Heads of Platform Engineering, and AI leaders. - Build and maintain relationships with technical champions across Security, DevOps, Platform, and AI teams at key accounts. - Support renewal and expansion motions by maintaining engagement beyond initial sale on key accounts. AI Solutions Advocacy - Position and demonstrate Docker's AI portfolio as the governance and security layer for modern AI-native development: - Docker MCP Gateway: policy enforcement for MCP tool calls in agentic AI development workflows - Docker AI Governance (GA May 2026): model lifecycle management, AI workload governance, and compliance controls - Docker Hardened Images (DHI): secure, continuously patched base images for AI model serving and application containers - Docker Sandbox (SBX): free microVM-based agent isolation for developer-facing AI coding workflows - Guide customers in implementing AI governance controls across their SDLC, with particular focus on securing agentic development environments. - Act as a subject matter expert on secure software supply chain, container security, and AI security trends in customer-facing and community engagements. - Provide architectural guidance for policy-as-code enforcement, identity and access governance for AI workloads, and SBOM visibility. - Develop reusable technical assets — workshops, demos, reference architectures, and Japanese-language enablement content — to scale impact across the channel and direct accounts. - Advocate for Japan customer and partner needs with Product and Engineering, providing structured feedback from field experience. QUALIFICATIONS Required - Native or business-level Japanese required. Working proficiency in English. Ability to deliver technical presentations, produce written content, and engage developer communities fluently in Japanese is essential. - Proven experience as a Sales Engineer, Solutions Engineer, Solution Architect, or Developer Advocate in a technical sales or community-facing role. - Familiarity with AI security, AI governance frameworks, or secure software supply chain practices. Direct experience with agentic AI development workflows is a plus. - Solid understanding of containers, DevOps, cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and modern application architectures. - Comfortable operating across both enterprise customer engagements and developer community contexts. - Strong communication and influencing skills across technical and business stakeholders. - Experience with partner or channel selling motions, co-selling with resellers or distributors, or running partner enablement programs. - Willingness to travel domestically within Japan for customer, partner, and community events. Preferred - Experience with Docker, container ecosystems, or adjacent technologies. - Public speaking, developer advocacy, conference presenting, or technical content creation experience. - Familiarity with agentic AI development, MCP tooling, or AI governance frameworks. - Experience running competitive PoCs/PoVs with clearly defined success and exit criteria. - Understanding of the Japanese enterprise technology landscape, including key distributors, system integrators, and channel dynamics. WHAT TO EXPECT First 30 Days - Onboarding with equipment setup, Docker tools training (Salesforce, Opine, Sigma), and peer pairing with the broader APAC SE team. - Meet the channel partner SE team and key distributor and reseller contacts in Japan. - Review open pipeline, account history, and pending handovers from prior SE coverage. - Begin building familiarity with Docker's AI portfolio: MCP Gateway, AI Gov, DHI, and SBX. First 60 Days - Deliver first partner enablement session with a key channel partner. - Engage actively with strategic accounts and participate in live customer opportunities. - Develop a view of the Japan community calendar and identify first speaking or content opportunity. - Gain in-depth knowledge of Docker products and how they map to Japanese customer priorities. First 90 Days - Operating independently across partner, customer, and community motions. - First community content piece or event appearance confirmed or delivered. - Clear account handover completed and relationships established at key strategic accounts. - Contributing to the Japan SE coverage plan and providing product feedback from the field. Docker does not offer visa sponsorship for this role. ______________________________________________________________________ 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. ______________________________________________________________________ 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. #LI-REMOTE