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The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.
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An overview of this role
As an Intermediate Backend Engineer on the team that owns GitLab's database upgrade experience, you'll help build the software that makes upgrades safe, fast, and predictable for both GitLab.com and self-managed customers. Working in Ruby on Rails and PostgreSQL alongside experienced engineers, you'll build and test the system that applies database schema changes during an upgrade and catches problems before they reach customers. It is an all-remote, asynchronous, highly team-based environment where you'll get mentorship and grow your skills in backend engineering, system design, and the reliability issues customers face when upgrading.
Some examples of our projects:
- System that runs database schema changes safely during upgrades
- Framework for testing schema changes before they ship to production
- Checks that catch problems before upgrades run
- Build and test the system that safely applies database schema changes during upgrades for both GitLab.com and self-managed customers.
- Develop and maintain testing frameworks that validate schema changes before they reach production.
- Implement checks and safeguards that catch problems before upgrades run, preventing failed or slow upgrades for customers.
- Review and improve database schema migrations from other engineers and external contributors to ensure safety, consistency, and backward compatibility.
- Work cross-functionally with operations, packaging, distribution, and QA teams to ensure the upgrade experience is reliable and smooth for all customers.
- Document upgrade procedures, schema change patterns, and migration best practices to help other engineers work with and maintain the system.
- Work with operations teams to identify their needs and continuously improve the safety and speed of customer upgrades, with success measured by fewer failed or slow upgrades and a more reliable upgrade experience.
In this role, you'll succeed by shipping incremental improvements and, over time, taking ownership of larger pieces of work with shorter revision cycles.
What you’ll bring- Professional software engineering experience working with PostgreSQL in large, complex production environments, including schema migrations and performance tuning.
- Proficiency with Ruby on Rails, with experience designing, implementing, and reviewing backend features and services.
- Ability to reason about software design, algorithms, and system-level trade-offs, particularly regarding reliability, safety, and backward compatibility in production upgrades.
- Strong written communication skills and comfort working asynchronously in an all-remote, distributed team.
- Self-directed work style with effective organizational skills and the ability to manage priorities as a "manager of one."
- Alignment with GitLab's values, including transparency, teamwork, inclusion, and contribution to open source practices.
- Experience working with operations or infrastructure teams, or willingness to learn how to effectively work across organizational boundaries.
We are a remote, agile backend group within the Database Excellence stage, with a focused mission on the database upgrade experience. We work asynchronously and partner closely with Database Architecture, Database Health, Database Automation, packaging and distribution, QA, and operations teams. Our work ensures that customers can upgrade safely, quickly, and predictably.
- 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.
Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us.
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.
Skills Required
- Professional software engineering experience with PostgreSQL in large, complex production environments, including schema migrations and performance tuning.
- Proficiency with Ruby on Rails and experience designing, implementing, and reviewing backend features and services.
- Ability to reason about software design, algorithms, and system-level trade-offs involving reliability, safety, and backward compatibility in production upgrades.
- Strong written communication skills and comfort working asynchronously in an all-remote, distributed team.
- Self-directed work style, effective organizational skills, and ability to manage priorities independently as a manager of one.
- Alignment with GitLab’s values, including transparency, teamwork, inclusion, and open source contribution practices.
- Experience working with operations or infrastructure teams, or willingness to learn cross-functional collaboration.
GitLab Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Medical coverage offers multiple U.S. plan options (Cigna in most states and Kaiser in CA/HI) alongside dental, vision, and an Employee Assistance Program. Handbook materials also note HSA availability with company contributions when enrolled in the HDHP.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is documented at 16 weeks, with U.S. leave administration supported by Tilt as of February 2, 2026. Caregiving and backup care resources are also referenced for many roles and locations.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation practices are described in a public handbook with standardized, market‑based frameworks, annual reviews, equity refreshes, and clear ranges visible internally as of May 2026. This documentation helps candidates and employees see current specifics and understand how pay is set.
GitLab Insights
What We Do
GitLab is the Intelligent Orchestration Platform where software teams and their AI agents stay in flow to amplify their capacity for innovation. Together, they automate repetitive tasks to plan, build, secure, test, deploy and maintain software. With GitLab, software teams spend less time on coordination overhead and more time on the next big idea. What started in 2011 as an open source project to help one team of programmers collaborate is now the intelligent orchestration platform millions of people use to deliver software faster, more efficiently, while strengthening security and compliance. Since the beginning, we've been firm believers in remote work, open source, DevSecOps, and iteration. We get up and log on in the morning to work alongside the GitLab community to deliver new innovations every month that help teams and their AI agents ship great code faster.
Why Work With Us
GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.
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