Software Engineer II

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.

Connect With Us

Location
This is a
remote role
open to candidates based in
Italy or Spain.
The Opportunity
As a Software Engineer II on the ToolHive team, you'll help build products that give developers a secure, intuitive way to connect AI agents to the systems they depend on. The role focuses on contributing to our Go-based backend services and developing the new ToolHive Model Context Protocol Control Plane.

Responsibilities include influencing architecture, designing scalable APIs, and solving complex distributed system challenges. You'll collaborate with frontend engineers, designers, and product managers to deliver reliable, high-performance backend services for MCP server management and orchestration.

You'll also engage directly with our open source community, turning community feedback into features that make it easier and safer for developers to bring AI-powered capabilities into production environments.

What Success Looks Like: First 6-12 months

• Technical Context Gained
  : You've developed a solid understanding of the ToolHive backend architecture through code reviews, design discussions, and hands-on contributions. You're making meaningful contributions to the codebases and can work independently on standalone features within your first 6 months.
• ToolHive Feature Delivered
  : You've designed and delivered at least one complex backend feature for the ToolHive Control Plane that improved developer productivity or deployment reliability, while contributing to additional features. You've collaborated effectively with frontend engineers, designers, and product managers throughout the development process.
• User Engagement Established:
  You've actively engaged with both our open source community through GitHub issues and Discord discussions, and our customers through support channels and feedback sessions, converting real-world feedback into actionable product improvements that were implemented by the team.
• Team Integration Completed
  : You've built strong working relationships with engineering, product, marketing, and design team members, regularly participated in technical discussions and provided valuable input that influenced product decisions.

In This Role, You Will

• Develop
  and enhance ToolHive's Go-based backend services including the Kubernetes operator, CLI, and API.
• Build APIs and services
  for discovering, deploying, and managing MCP servers with focus on reliability, performance, and developer experience.
• Contribute to the ToolHive Kubernetes Operator
  for orchestrating containerized MCP server deployments.
• Develop CLI commands
  and workflows that provide developers with intuitive tools for managing their MCP infrastructure.
• Partner with
  designers and product managers to translate user requirements into intuitive workflows for managing containerized MCP deployments.
• Engage directly
  with our open source community and customers, providing support and gathering feedback to inform product decisions.
• Contribute to
  engineering processes and development practices as our team scales both the desktop and web applications.
• Adopt AI-first development practices
  , using AI tools to enhance productivity, code quality, and development velocity as part of your everyday workflow.

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

• Proficiency in Go (Golang)
  , with strong backend development principles for producing clean, efficient, scalable, and secure code.
• Distributed systems development skills
  for building scalable, fault-tolerant agent systems using microservices, event-driven patterns, and proper state management.
• Experience building Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers
  or similar agent integration patterns, with understanding of protocol specifications.
• Kubernetes expertise
  , including familiarity with concepts such as operator development patterns, custom resources, or API extensions.
• API design
  and development skills for building REST APIs that support frontend applications and external integrations.
• Software development best practices
  including testing, code review, version control, and continuous integration workflows.
• Collaborative mindset
  with proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, contribute to code reviews, and participate in technical discussions and planning sessions.
• Task decomposition and prioritization
  for breaking down complex features into simple, manageable steps and prioritizing them effectively with a lean MVP mindset.
• Open source experience
  through GitHub contributions, issue management, or community engagement.
• Startup mindset
  with self-motivation and hands-on approach, thriving in dynamic, fast-changing environments and driving clarity through action.

Base Salary Range:
€77,350 - €116,025

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.