Job Description - Staff Software Engineer (Java Libraries) at Chainguard

Role Summary:

• Focus on Java ecosystem infrastructure for secure, reproducible builds, trustworthy dependencies, and automated packaging pipelines.
• Infrastructure-focused role supporting Chainguard Libraries product line.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own architecture and direction for Java ecosystem infrastructure enabling secure, reproducible build, test, and distribution workflows for Java libraries and SDKs.
• Design and maintain automation for building, updating, validating, and publishing Java artifacts (including vulnerability scanning, remediation, SBOMs, provenance).
• Build internal developer tools such as Gradle/Maven plugins, CLIs, code generators to improve Java package maintenance at scale.
• Deep integration with Gradle, Maven, and artifact repositories; solve complex dependency and module-resolution issues in large codebases/mono-repos.
• Collaborate with product and engineering leadership to shape the Java libraries roadmap aligned with business outcomes.
• Mentor engineers through design reviews, documentation, debugging build/infrastructure issues.
• Partner with Platform, Delivery, Sustaining, Security teams to ensure reliability and security of Java pipelines/services.

Core Experience Required:

• 8+ years in Java or similar ecosystems working on build systems, packaging or developer tooling (preferably platform/infra or ecosystem teams).
• Proven experience building/owning Gradle/Maven plugins, CI/CD automation or internal frameworks/tools for Java libraries/services.
• Deep familiarity with Gradle and Maven for multi-module builds, dependency graphs/BOMs, publishing to registries.
• Experience managing large codebases or mono-repos; fixing dependency/build failures in production.
• Comfortable with infrastructure code/tooling (Go-based systems, Terraform, CI/CD) alongside deep Java expertise.
• Ability to debug toolchain/compiler/packaging issues at scale and drive resolution.
• Experience with cloud-native environments: containers (Docker/OCI/Kubernetes), public cloud (GCP/AWS/Azure), modern CI/CD systems (GitHub Actions/Argo/Tekton).
• Excellent communication skills in remote/distributed setups; comfortable collaborating across product/infra/security teams; mentoring senior peers.
• Staff-level ownership mindset: define direction, own critical outcomes in early/high-impact areas.

Nice to Have:

• Open source contributions in the Java ecosystem (libraries/build tools/packaging/infrastructure).
• Experience building/distributing widely used libraries/SDKs/runtimes.
• Familiarity with software supply chain security: SLSA, SBOMs, sigstore, provenance, attestations.
• Prior SRE/platform engineering/DevOps experience related to Java developer productivity or CI/CD pipelines.
• Exposure to Linux distribution/packaging ecosystems or reproducible build systems (Alpine/Wolfi/Debian/Bazel/Nix).

Company Overview: Chainguard provides secure open source software built from source and continuously updated to eliminate software supply chain threats. Company Values:

• Customer obsessed: Deliver value-focused solutions.
• Bias for intentional action: Prioritize and iterate quickly.
• Serious work but fun journey: Focused yet enjoy the process.
• Trust & transparency: Empower informed decisions.

Benefits:

• Flexible & Remote-first culture with team meetups and stipends for coworking/internet/phone costs.
• Stock options on hire/promotion with 10-year exercise window; participation in secondary offerings.
• 100% covered health/vision/dental insurance premiums for employees and dependents.
• Unlimited flexible time off for recharge/reset.
• Paid parental leave: 18 weeks birthing parents; 12 weeks non-birthing parents.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: Chainguard does not discriminate based on legally protected characteristics including race, gender identity/expression, disability status etc., and considers qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with law.