Senior Software Engineer - Kubernetes / Container Monitoring at Datadog

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Software Engineer - Kubernetes / Container Monitoring
Company: Datadog
Location: Lisbon, Portugal
Job Type: On-site (Hybrid)
Category: DevOps Engineer
Date Posted: June 18, 2025
Experience Level: 10+ years

🚀 Role Summary

Develop and maintain open-source software for container monitoring, focusing on Kubernetes and its ecosystem.
Collaborate with upstream open-source communities and contribute to their projects.
Design and implement features that solve new problems in the industry, improving the user experience for fellow engineers.
Work primarily in Go, Python, or other relevant languages based on the task at hand.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a deep understanding of containerization, Kubernetes, and open-source software development. Familiarity with multiple programming languages and a passion for driving technical conversations in the open are significant advantages.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

Container Monitoring: Build and maintain open-source software that monitors containers, their runtimes, and other components of the cloud-native ecosystem.
Open-Source Contribution: Participate in and contribute to upstream open-source communities, driving technical conversations and improvements.
Feature Design & Development: Design and write features that solve new problems in the industry, focusing on user experience and impact.
Language Agnostic: Work in Go, Python, or any language that fits the particular task at hand, demonstrating fluency in multiple languages.
Impactful Engineering: Have a significant impact on the product and the user experience of fellow engineers who use the product.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in software engineering, platform engineering, or SRE, with a proven track record of working with containers and Kubernetes. Experience with other container orchestrators like AWS ECS, Mesos, or Nomad is a plus.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.

Experience: Over 7 years of experience in software engineering, platform engineering, or SRE, with a focus on containerized environments and Kubernetes.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in multiple programming languages (e.g., Go, Python, C++, Rust, C#, Java)
Strong knowledge of Kubernetes and its API's and components (e.g., API server, kubelet; creating Kubernetes resources)
Experience with containerized environments and design patterns such as Kubernetes controllers, operator, reconcile loop, etc.
Familiarity with container orchestrators (e.g., Kubernetes, AWS ECS, Mesos, Nomad)

Preferred Skills:

Experience with open-source software development and contributing to upstream communities
Ability to drive technical conversations in the open
Familiarity with multiple container orchestrators

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a high level of technical expertise and experience. Candidates should be comfortable working with various programming languages and have a deep understanding of Kubernetes and its ecosystem.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrations of container monitoring projects showcasing your ability to monitor containers, their runtimes, and other cloud-native ecosystem components.
Examples of open-source contributions, highlighting your ability to collaborate with upstream communities and drive technical conversations.
Case studies or live demos of features you've designed and implemented, focusing on user experience and impact.

Technical Documentation:

Code quality, commenting, and documentation standards, demonstrating your ability to write clean, maintainable code.
Version control, deployment processes, and server configuration, showcasing your experience with container orchestration and management.
Testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques, highlighting your commitment to quality and performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong portfolio demonstrating your expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Your portfolio should showcase your ability to work with multiple programming languages and understand Kubernetes and its ecosystem.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 - €120,000 per year (Based on market research for senior software engineers in Lisbon with expertise in Kubernetes and container monitoring)

Benefits:

New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
Continuous professional development, product training, and career pathing
Intradepartmental mentor and buddy program for in-house networking
An inclusive company culture, ability to join our Community Guilds (Datadog employee resource groups)
Access to Inclusion Talks, our internal panel discussions
Free, global mental health benefits for employees and dependents age 6+
Competitive global benefits

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate based on market research for senior software engineers in Lisbon with expertise in Kubernetes and container monitoring. Benefits are subject to the country of employment and the nature of employment with Datadog.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Datadog is a global SaaS business focused on delivering world-class container-monitoring solutions, enabling digital transformation, cloud migration, and infrastructure monitoring for its customers.

Company Size: Datadog has over 1,500 employees worldwide, providing ample opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Founded: Datadog was founded in 2010, with a strong focus on breaking down silos and solving complexity in the cloud age.

Team Structure:

The team consists of experienced software engineers, platform engineers, and SREs, all working together to build amazing open-source software.
The team follows an Agile methodology, with a focus on collaboration, continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality products.

Development Methodology:

The team uses Agile development methodologies, with a focus on iterative development, continuous integration, and continuous deployment.
Code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices are integral to the development process.
Deployment strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and server management are essential aspects of the role.

Company Website: Datadog

📝 Enhancement Note: Datadog's company culture values collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning. The team structure encourages cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing, fostering a supportive environment for growth and development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: This role is a senior-level position, requiring a high level of technical expertise and experience. The role offers significant opportunities for growth and impact within the company and the open-source community.

Reporting Structure: The role reports directly to the Engineering Manager, with opportunities for mentorship and technical leadership within the team.

Technical Impact: This role has a significant impact on the product and the user experience of fellow engineers who use the product. The open-source software developed in this role will run on thousands of machines, making life easier for technical customers who care deeply about what you build.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Continuously develop your skills and expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design.
Leadership Development: Opportunities for mentorship, technical leadership, and architecture decision-making within the team and the open-source community.
Career Progression: Potential career progression paths include technical lead, engineering manager, or principal engineer roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for growth and impact within the company and the open-source community. Candidates should be prepared to take on a high level of responsibility and demonstrate a strong commitment to driving technical conversations and improvements.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Datadog operates a hybrid workplace, ensuring a work-life harmony that best fits its employees. The Lisbon office provides a collaborative workspace with multiple monitors and testing devices available for web development tasks.

Office Location(s): The Lisbon office is located in the heart of the city, with easy access to public transportation and nearby amenities.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Environment: The workspace encourages cross-functional interaction between developers, designers, and stakeholders, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
Development Tools: The workspace is equipped with the latest development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices to ensure optimal productivity and performance.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: The workspace encourages knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and continuous learning, providing ample opportunities for growth and development.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is flexible, with opportunities for deployment window and maintenance support as needed. The team follows a hybrid work arrangement, with a mix of on-site and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Datadog's hybrid workplace offers a flexible and collaborative work environment, tailored to the needs of its employees. The Lisbon office provides a supportive and innovative workspace, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and growth.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Preparation: Prepare for technical assessments focused on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes, its API's, and components.
Web Architecture Expectations: Familiarize yourself with Kubernetes design patterns such as controllers, operator, and reconcile loop. Be prepared to discuss your approach to container monitoring and open-source software development.
Team Interaction: Expect to engage with the web development team, discussing your technical approach, collaboration style, and cultural fit.
Final Evaluation: Prepare for a final evaluation focused on your technical impact, problem-solving skills, and ability to drive technical conversations in the open.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Portfolio Curation: Tailor your portfolio to showcase your expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Highlight your ability to work with multiple programming languages and understand Kubernetes and its ecosystem.
Project Case Studies: Structure your project case studies to focus on user experience and technical implementation, demonstrating your ability to solve new problems in the industry.
Code Quality Demonstration: Showcase your ability to write clean, maintainable code with proper commenting and documentation standards.
Company-Specific Considerations: Research Datadog's container monitoring solutions and user experience focus, tailoring your portfolio to highlight your relevant skills and expertise.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Exercise Format: Familiarize yourself with the typical web development exercise format, focusing on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design.
Time Management: Practice time management strategies for web challenges, focusing on solution architecture and optimization techniques.
Communication: Develop clear and concise communication skills for explaining web concepts and driving technical conversations.

ATS Keywords: [Provided in the "🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure" section]

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is highly technical, focusing on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their expertise in Kubernetes, multiple programming languages, and open-source software development.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Frontend Technologies: Not applicable for this role.

Backend & Server Technologies:

Kubernetes: Proficiency in Kubernetes and its API's and components is essential for this role. Candidates should be familiar with Kubernetes controllers, operator, and reconcile loop design patterns.
Container Runtimes: Experience with container runtimes such as Docker, containerd, or CRI-O is beneficial for this role.
Open-Source Software: Familiarity with open-source software development and contributing to upstream communities is crucial for this role.

Development & DevOps Tools:

Go: Proficiency in Go is required for this role, as it is the primary language used for container monitoring and open-source software development at Datadog.
Python: Familiarity with Python is beneficial for this role, as it is used for scripting, automation, and data analysis tasks.
CI/CD Pipelines: Experience with CI/CD pipelines and deployment automation is essential for this role, ensuring efficient and reliable software delivery.
Monitoring Tools: Familiarity with monitoring tools and web performance tracking is beneficial for this role, as it is crucial for container monitoring and open-source software development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong background in Kubernetes, container runtimes, and open-source software development. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their expertise in these areas and be open to learning new technologies as needed.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

User Experience Focus: Datadog places a strong emphasis on user experience, ensuring that its container monitoring solutions meet the needs of its customers.
Performance Optimization: Datadog values performance optimization, continuously improving the efficiency and effectiveness of its container monitoring solutions.
Code Quality Approach: Datadog prioritizes code quality, ensuring that its open-source software is clean, maintainable, and well-documented.
Collaborative Development Practices: Datadog encourages collaborative development practices, fostering a supportive and innovative environment for growth and development.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Datadog encourages cross-functional integration between developers, designers, and stakeholders, ensuring that its container monitoring solutions meet the needs of its customers.
Code Review Culture: Datadog values code review culture, ensuring that its open-source software is of the highest quality and meets the needs of its customers.
Knowledge Sharing: Datadog encourages knowledge sharing, technical mentoring, and continuous learning, fostering a supportive environment for growth and development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Datadog's web development values and collaboration style emphasize user experience, performance optimization, code quality, and collaborative development practices. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their commitment to these values and be open to learning and growing within the team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

Container Monitoring: Develop and maintain open-source software that monitors containers, their runtimes, and other components of the cloud-native ecosystem, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
Open-Source Contribution: Participate in and contribute to upstream open-source communities, driving technical conversations and improvements in the open-source software development process.
Feature Design & Development: Design and write features that solve new problems in the industry, focusing on user experience and impact, and ensuring the scalability and maintainability of the open-source software.
Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design, continuously expanding your skillset and expertise.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Continuously develop your skills and expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design, attending conferences, obtaining certifications, and engaging with the community.
Mentorship & Leadership: Seek mentorship opportunities from experienced team members and provide technical guidance and leadership to junior team members, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment for growth and development.
Architecture Decision-Making: Participate in architecture decision-making processes, contributing to the design and implementation of container monitoring solutions that meet the needs of Datadog's customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant technical challenges and growth opportunities, focusing on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Candidates should be prepared to take on these challenges and demonstrate their commitment to continuous learning and development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

Container Monitoring: Prepare for technical questions focused on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes, its API's, and components, as well as your familiarity with container runtimes and open-source software development.
Web Architecture: Familiarize yourself with Kubernetes design patterns such as controllers, operator, and reconcile loop. Be prepared to discuss your approach to container monitoring and open-source software development, as well as your understanding of web architecture and performance optimization.
Problem-Solving: Prepare for problem-solving questions focused on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Brush up on your knowledge of algorithmic and data structure concepts, as well as your ability to think critically and creatively.

Company & Culture Questions:

Company Research: Conduct thorough research on Datadog's container monitoring solutions and user experience focus, tailoring your responses to highlight your relevant skills and expertise.
Web Development Methodology: Familiarize yourself with Datadog's Agile development methodologies, code review practices, and quality assurance processes. Be prepared to discuss your approach to web development and your commitment to driving technical conversations and improvements.
User Experience Impact: Prepare for questions focused on user experience impact, performance metrics, and optimization techniques. Brush up on your knowledge of user-centered design principles and your ability to create intuitive and engaging user experiences.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Live Website Demonstration: Prepare a live website demonstration showcasing your expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Highlight your ability to work with multiple programming languages and understand Kubernetes and its ecosystem.
Code Explanation: Develop clear and concise communication skills for explaining your code, architecture decisions, and technical approach to container monitoring and open-source software development.
User Experience Showcase: Prepare a user experience showcase demonstrating your ability to create intuitive and engaging user experiences, focusing on user experience design principles and performance optimization techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for this role is highly technical, focusing on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their expertise in these areas and be open to learning and growing within the team.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Software Engineer - Kubernetes / Container Monitoring position at Datadog:

Tailor Your Portfolio: Customize your portfolio to showcase your expertise in container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design. Highlight your ability to work with multiple programming languages and understand Kubernetes and its ecosystem.
Resume Optimization: Optimize your resume for web technology roles, focusing on project highlights and technical skills relevant to container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design.
Technical Interview Preparation: Brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes, its API's, and components, as well as your familiarity with container runtimes and open-source software development. Prepare for technical questions focused on container monitoring, open-source software development, and feature design.
Company Research: Conduct thorough research on Datadog's container monitoring solutions and user experience focus, tailoring your responses to highlight your relevant skills and expertise.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

Senior Software Engineer - Kubernetes / Container Monitoring