Staff Software Engineer

vCluster Labs; Germany (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

vCluster Labs is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to work closely with the CTO and shape the future of our Kubernetes virtualization platform. You will own strategic technical initiatives, prototype new ideas, and guide the engineering team through complex challenges.

You will develop deep system mastery, collaborate outside traditional boundaries, and engage with users to translate deep technical needs into scalable solutions.

Qualifications

• Deep Kubernetes & GoLang expertise demonstrated with hands-on work.
• High autonomy: able to tackle complex issues independently.
• Beyond coding: experience with product development, PM, and technical comms.
• Rapid learning: quickly prototype and learn new tools or concepts.

Responsibilities

• Rapid Prototyping & Innovation: identify product opportunities, research, and build prototypes to validate feasibility.
• Strategic Technical Leadership: own complex projects, write technical abstracts, guide engineering direction.
• Direct Collaboration with Leadership: work with CTO to solve high-level problems and define new capabilities.
• System Mastery & Evolution: deeply understand the existing system and evolve tech stack.
• Customer & External Engagement: engage with users to translate needs into engineering solutions.

Skills

Kubernetes

GoLang

Autonomy

Learning agility

Job description

As vCluster Labs Staff Software Engineer, you will operate as a specialized technical leader, working directly with the CTO to explore new frontiers in our technology and shaping the future of our Kubernetes virtualization platform.

Responsibilities

• Rapid Prototyping & Innovation: Identify interesting product opportunities, research solutions, and quickly build prototypes to validate feasibility, then guide technical direction based on findings.
• Strategic Technical Leadership: Own complex technical projects, write technical abstracts, and help the engineering team navigate difficult challenges.
• Direct Collaboration with Leadership: Work directly with the CTO, operating outside the traditional engineering boundaries to solve high-level problems and ideate new product capabilities.
• System Mastery & Evolution: Develop a deep understanding of our existing system while learning new technologies quickly, and integrate new tech into the stack efficiently.
• Customer & External Engagement: Engage with users to understand their deep technical needs and translate those into engineering solutions.

Qualifications

• Deep Kubernetes & GoLang Expertise: 3+ years of hands‑on experience with Kubernetes and GoLang, comfortable exploring cloud‑native infrastructure internals.
• High Autonomy: Self‑starter who can tackle complex issues independently and manage own time and priorities.
• Beyond the Code: Experience extending beyond software writing, encompassing product development, project management, and technical communication.
• Rapid Learning Agility: Quickly prototype and learn new tools, languages, or architectural concepts on the fly to solve immediate problems.

Bonus

• Deep understanding of cloud‑native containers and the broader ecosystem.
• Startup experience with significant technical influence and product shaping.
• Experience writing technical content such as abstracts, white papers, or blog posts.
• Background in Platform Engineering or building internal developer platforms (IDPs).