Staff Backend Engineer - Database Change Management

Full Job Description

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.

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Staff Backend Engineer - Database Change Management

An overview of this role

As a Senior Backend Engineer, Database Upgrades, you'll help replace GitLab's sequential database migration system with a dependency graph model that makes upgrades faster and safer for GitLab.com and self-managed customers. You'll lead the design and delivery of a migration validation and test framework, including versioned fixture data across about 1,000 tables, a continuous integration (CI)-integrated test runner, and required correctness checks. You'll also serve as the senior technical anchor for our India-based engineering group, using clear written decisions to influence a team working across India, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. The manager for this role is based on the US West Coast.

We're open to hiring this role at Staff level for a candidate whose experience matches that scope. At Staff level, you'll also own architecture decisions for the migration system and lead design work across teams.

What you’ll do

• Lead the design and delivery of the migration validation and test framework from initial approach through production use.

• Contribute to a dependency graph migration system that supports safe ordering, parallel execution, and three-phase, low-downtime upgrades.

• Mentor intermediate engineers through pairing, code review, and design feedback.

• Make and document technical decisions asynchronously so team members can build on them across time zones.

• Review schema migrations from engineers across GitLab for safety, backward compatibility, and reliability.

• Collaborate with Distribution, Quality Assurance, Database Architecture, Database Automation, and database framework teams to support GitLab.com and self-managed deployment methods.

• At Staff level, author and defend architecture proposals and represent the team in technical reviews across GitLab.

What you’ll bring

• Deep experience with Ruby on Rails in large production codebases, including Active Record migration internals, or comparable depth in another framework's migration system, such as Django or Ecto.

• Production PostgreSQL experience, including schema changes on large tables, locking behavior, and data definition language failure modes under load.

• A track record of leading delivery of a system from design through implementation and adoption.

• Experience mentoring engineers through pairing, code review, and technical feedback.

• Strong written communication and the ability to make progress independently in an asynchronous, distributed environment.

• Sound judgment when balancing reliability, safety, backward compatibility, and delivery needs.

• An interest in serving as a senior technical presence for an India-based engineering group while collaborating across regions.

About the team

We’re working on the largest change to GitLab's migration system in its history, with a focus on making upgrades safer and easier for customers, including the roughly one-third of self-managed customers who are two or more required upgrade stops behind.

How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being

• Flexible Paid Time Off

• Team Member Resource Groups

• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan

• Growth and Development Fund

• Parental Leave

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.

Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process.

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GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.

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