Staff Software Engineer - Golang

Stacklok, founded by Kubernetes co-creator Craig McLuckie, is building the future of secure context delivery for enterprise AI. Our flagship platform, Toolhive Enterprise, is the first enterprise-grade solution for orchestrating Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers at scale. Trusted by the Fortune 500, Toolhive enables organizations to securely connect generative AI to internal data, APIs, and knowledge bases, without sacrificing security, compliance, or governance. With Stacklok, enterprises can move beyond pilots and confidently operationalize AI in production.

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Location

This is a hybrid role that requires in-person work three days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We believe this approach balances flexibility with the value of in-person collaboration and community.

Our current office is located at:

US Bank Plaza

10800 NE 8th Street, Suite 210

Bellevue, WA 98004

The Opportunity

Stacklok is on a mission to simplify and secure AI-powered tooling workflows, and we are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to architect the next generation of our ToolHive Model Context Protocol Control Plane. In this role, you will help define the technical vision, design and build scalable systems, and work hands-on across core subsystems. You will mentor engineers, promote technical excellence across teams, and establish best practices that keep Stacklok at the forefront of enterprise AI development. You will collaborate with backend and frontend engineers, designers, design partners, and product managers to deliver reliable, well-crafted solutions that delight users. Beyond coding, you will mentor junior engineers, uphold engineering best practices, and develop technical examples and content that strengthen the growing open-source community around ToolHive. If you thrive in fast-moving environments, excel at cross-disciplinary problem solving, and view versatility as a strength, this is your opportunity to make an impact at the forefront of enterprise AI.

What Success Looks Like: First 6-12 months

• Technical Context Mastered: You’ve rapidly developed deep fluency in the ToolHive architecture, infrastructure, and design rationale by reviewing codebases, design docs, and engaging across teams. This enabled high-impact contributions and architectural leadership.
• Feature Delivery: Spearheaded the design, implementation, and launch of two or three major ToolHive Control Plane features that measurably improved developer productivity, deployment speed, or system security. Authored comprehensive documentation and technical blog posts for each feature to drive adoption and ensure proper usage.
• Led Engineering Team: You’ve built, led, and mentored a focused team of 3-4 engineers dedicated to agent and tool development. You set technical direction, established best practices, and fostered a culture of rapid iteration and knowledge sharing.
• Strategic Partnerships Formed: You co-developed technical solutions with 2-3 key customers or technology partners, validating product-market fit and opening new market opportunities.
• Data-Driven Iteration Enabled: You implemented telemetry and feedback systems that captured real-time usage data and customer insights. These informed architectural improvements and drove iterative solution refinement.
• Cross-Functional Alignment Achieved: You built strong, trust-based relationships across Product, Design, AI Research, and Marketing. This enabled clear goal alignment, open communication, and integrated execution.

In This Role, You Will

• Design and Ship our MCP Control Plane: Architect and deliver production-grade solutions that address complex enterprise data challenges, making it secure and seamless for organizations to unlock and manage their data. You will own the full lifecycle, from system design and architecture to deployment, optimization, and continuous improvement.
• Lead Discovery and Solution Design: Run technical discovery with customers and stakeholders to uncover automation opportunities, translate needs into technical specs, and prototype innovative agent workflows.
• Define Architecture and Standards: Set architectural direction and lead code reviews for AI systems. Establish scalable, reliable, and maintainable design patterns and development standards.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Build and operate observability systems that surface performance metrics, user behaviors, and system dynamics to enhance reliability and effectiveness over time.
• Mentor and Grow Engineering Talent: Foster a culture of ownership, safety, and learning where peers feel empowered to take initiative and continuously develop their craft.
• Champion AI-First Engineering: Use AI tools and workflows to streamline development, inform decisions, and accelerate innovation in how software is built and delivered.

We understand

Not everyone will meet every requirement listed, and that’s perfectly okay. We encourage you to apply regardless of your self-assessment. We value a diverse range of skills and experiences and believe your unique perspective can make a significant impact. We want to hear from you!

Desired Skills & Experience

• Programming Languages: Expert proficiency in Go (Golang), with strong backend development principles for producing clean, efficient, scalable, and secure code; additional experience with Python is a plus.
• Distributed Systems Architecture: Experience designing scalable, fault-tolerant agent systems using microservices, event-driven patterns, and proper state management.
• MCP Server Development: Experience building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers or similar agent integration patterns. Understanding of protocol specifications and resource management.
• Systems & Tooling: Experience building and maintaining enterprise systems using Docker, Linux, and Git.
• Cloud & Deployment: Proficiency with containerization (Docker), Kubernetes and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure). Experience with CI/CD pipelines and production deployment practices.
• Testing: Proven ability to design and execute comprehensive testing approaches across systems, encompassing unit tests and integration tests.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal skills, able to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Collaborative Mindset: Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, contribute to code reviews, and participate in technical discussions and planning sessions.
• Continuous Learning: Demonstrated interest in staying current with rapidly evolving AI technologies and frameworks. Experience with open source contributions or personal AI projects is a plus.
• OSS Experience: Experience contributing to or maintaining open source software projects, with demonstrated ability to collaborate in distributed development environments
• Startup Mindset: Self-motivated and hands-on. Thrives in dynamic, fast-changing environments and drives clarity through action.

Base Salary Range: $192,000 - $288,000

#LI-Hybrid

Why Join Us?

At Stacklok, we believe great technology is built by teams that support, challenge, and inspire one another. We are AI maximalists, confident in its potential and committed to ensuring it is used in ways that are safe and sustainable. You will join a highly motivated, collaborative team with deep experience building some of the world’s most impactful technologies. We work in the open, side by side with the community, with strong roots in open source, cloud-native technologies, security, and developer tools. We offer competitive compensation, equity, comprehensive healthcare, and a flexible work environment - including adaptable work hours and flexible PTO to support your success. If you're excited about the future of AI, and want to build alongside people who care deeply about their craft, their community, and each other, we would love to hear from you. Stacklok Inc, is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to their, or any other person's, perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.