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GitLabSenior Backend Engineer, Database Excellence (Ruby)
GitLab operates an intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, helping organizations boost developer efficiency, streamline operations, and minimize security risks. The platform serves millions of users globally,…
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About This Role
GitLab operates an intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, helping organizations boost developer efficiency, streamline operations, and minimize security risks. The platform serves millions of users globally, including a large share of Fortune 100 companies. As a Senior Backend Engineer within the Database Excellence group, you will design and evolve data frameworks and tooling to keep application datastores healthy, scalable, and safe for both SaaS and self-managed users. This remote position…
Job Description
GitLab operates an intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, helping organizations boost developer efficiency, streamline operations, and minimize security risks. The platform serves millions of users globally, including a large share of Fortune 100 companies.
As a Senior Backend Engineer within the Database Excellence group, you will design and evolve data frameworks and tooling to keep application datastores healthy, scalable, and safe for both SaaS and self-managed users. This remote position focuses heavily on developing proactive data growth controls, lifecycle management frameworks, retention policy enforcement, and infrastructure saturation prevention. You will work extensively with PostgreSQL and Ruby on Rails in a collaborative, distributed setting.
This role suits experienced backend engineers who thrive in an asynchronous environment, possess strong system-level performance intuition, and enjoy building guardrails and tooling that empower other developers to manage data at scale.
Responsibilities
- Develop and iterate backend features and data frameworks for scalable data management across SaaS and self-managed deployments
- Design and build data retention and lifecycle management frameworks, including bulk data removal and automated table identification
- Create shift-left guardrails such as static analysis and schema-change enforcement to catch unsustainable data growth early
- Partner with product, UX, frontend, infrastructure, software delivery, and analytics teams to ship high-performing solutions
- Review and improve database-related changes from engineers and community contributors to protect performance and integrity
- Build and maintain operational tools like SQL traffic replay and background operations frameworks
- Research and implement enhancements for soft delete strategies and database migration testing
- Document database best practices and architectural guidance for developers
- Participate in a tier 2 database on-call rotation based on your time zone
Requirements
- Professional software engineering experience with PostgreSQL in large production environments, covering high availability, automatic failover, and zero-downtime migrations
- Experience managing fast-growing or large datasets using archiving, partitioning, data retention, or lifecycle management
- Proficiency with Ruby on Rails or an alternative Ruby framework for backend design and implementation
- Ability to analyze system-level software design, algorithms, and performance trade-offs
- Strong written communication skills tailored for an asynchronous, distributed team
- Self-directed work style with organizational skills to manage priorities independently
- Alignment with company values such as transparency, collaboration, inclusion, and open source contribution
- Willingness to join a tier 2 database on-call rotation
Qualifications
- Openness to learning and applying new tools, including transferable skills from data, infrastructure, or developer tooling domains
Core Skills
Benefits
- Flexible Paid Time Off
- Team Member Resource Groups
- Equity Compensation and Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Growth and Development Fund
- Parental Leave
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
What is the employment type for this position?
The position is full-time.
Where is the job located?
The role is fully remote, with hiring occurring globally in various countries, though specific location-based eligibility rules may apply.
What is the salary for this role?
The provided job posting does not specify a salary.
What technology stack is used in this role?
The role involves working hands-on with PostgreSQL and Ruby on Rails.
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