Staff Backend Engineer

Role overview

Join GitLab as a Staff Backend Engineer (AI) in the Verify stage. You will shape and scale the core infrastructure behind GitLab CI, improving performance, reliability, and usability at massive CI scale. You’ll also define how AI is integrated into CI/CD workflows and help bring GitLab’s Duo Agent Platform into CI at scale.

Responsibilities

• Shape and scale GitLab CI infrastructure focused on performance, reliability, and usability
• Define and implement AI-powered features for Agentic CI, including:
  • agents and agentic flows
  • LLM-backed tooling and integrations
• Lead cross-functional technical work with Product, UX, and Infrastructure, influencing architecture and execution across the Verify stage

Requirements

• Advanced Ruby and Ruby on Rails proficiency; experience building and maintaining reliable backend services in a large codebase
• Hands-on experience running and debugging high-traffic production systems (ideally CI/workflow orchestration or similar infrastructure-heavy domains)
• Strong PostgreSQL skills: data modeling, query tuning, and scaling large tables via proactive performance work
• Strong backend architecture and delivery practices:
  • secure design
  • well-tested code
  • safe rollouts and zero-downtime changes
• Data-driven engineering: define hypotheses, establish baselines, instrument changes, and measure outcomes against clear success criteria
• Familiarity with observability patterns and tools (metrics, logging, tracing)
• Practical experience shipping AI-powered backend features/integrations, with sound judgment around LLM limitations and responsible production use
• Clear written and verbal communication, including technical proposals and documentation in a remote, asynchronous environment

Nice-to-haves

• Experience directly in CI/CD orchestration, workflow automation, or adjacent infrastructure-heavy domains
• Demonstrated experience integrating Agentic/LLM systems into backend workflows responsibly

Notes

GitLab welcomes candidates with varying experience levels; applicants may not meet every requirement.