Container Runtime Engineer

Datadog is a global SaaS business focused on enabling digital transformation and infrastructure monitoring. They are seeking a Container Runtime Engineer to manage container isolation infrastructure and collaborate with teams to enhance product features while ensuring performance at scale.

Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and maintain container isolation infrastructure across multi-cloud Kubernetes environments, with primary focus on Kata Containers and microVM technologies
• Achieve performance parity for isolated workloads by resolving disk I/O limitations
• Develop new Kata backends for diverse infrastructure requirements, including potential AWS Nitro Enclaves integration
• Evaluate emerging sandboxing technologies (gVisor, WebAssembly, unikernels) for specific workload requirements
• Collaborate with upstream Kata Containers project to contribute improvements and influence roadmap
• Act as subject matter expert on container security isolation, mentoring engineers on isolation best practices

Requirements:

• Strong systems programming background with 4+ years of experience in container runtimes and Linux kernel primitives
• Hands-on experience with container runtime hardening technologies like Kata Containers, gVisor, Firecracker, or similar microVM/sandboxing solutions
• Deep understanding of Linux kernel interfaces: namespaces, cgroups, seccomp, capabilities, LSMs, and virtualization (KVM/QEMU)
• Proficiency in systems programming languages (Go, Rust, or C) with ability to debug low-level code
• Knowledge of container runtime specifications (OCI, CRI) and containerd architecture
• You have demonstrated ability to use AI coding tools in day-to-day workflows and validate, critique, and refine AI-generated output
• Upstream contributions to Kata Containers, containerd, gVisor, or related CNCF projects
• Experience with AWS Nitro Enclaves, confidential computing, or hardware security features
• Broad Kubernetes expertise including storage (CSI), networking (CNI), or device management (CDI, NRI)
• Performance tuning for I/O-intensive workloads in virtualized environments
• Technical leadership experience driving architectural decisions in complex systems
• Familiarity with eBPF, GPU passthrough, or specialized hardware device management
• You're motivated to push the boundaries of how AI can improve software engineering best practices and contribute to building AI-enabled products