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GitLab is seeking a Senior Backend Engineer to lead the redesign of its database migration system. You will replace GitLab's sequential migration approach with a dependency graph model that enables faster, safer upgrades for both GitLab.com and self-managed customers.
In this role, you will lead the design and delivery of a migration validation and test framework, including versioned fixture data across approximately 1,000 tables, a CI-integrated test runner, and correctness checks. You'll serve as the senior technical anchor for GitLab's India-based engineering group, making and documenting technical decisions asynchronously to influence teams across India, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States. Your manager is based on the US West Coast.
Key responsibilities include:
- Lead design and delivery of the migration validation and test framework from conception through production
- Contribute to a dependency graph migration system supporting 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 for distributed teams
- Review schema migrations from engineers across GitLab for safety, backward compatibility, and reliability
- Collaborate with Distribution, QA, Database Architecture, Database Automation, and database framework teams
Required experience:
- Deep expertise with Ruby on Rails in large production codebases, including Active Record migration internals, or equivalent depth in Django, Ecto, or similar frameworks
- Production PostgreSQL experience including schema changes on large tables, locking behavior, and DDL failure modes under load
- Track record leading system delivery from design through implementation and adoption
- Experience mentoring engineers through pairing, code review, and technical feedback
- Strong written communication and ability to work independently in asynchronous, distributed environments
- Sound judgment balancing reliability, safety, backward compatibility, and delivery needs
- Interest in serving as senior technical presence for India-based engineering group
GitLab is open to hiring at Staff level for candidates whose experience matches that broader scope. At Staff level, you would own architecture decisions for the migration system and lead design work across teams.
GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps, trusted by more than 50% of the Fortune 100 and 50 million registered users. The company emphasizes AI as a core productivity multiplier and maintains a high-performance culture driven by its values and continuous knowledge exchange.
