> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2150600-backend-engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2150600-backend-engineer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Backend Engineer - **Company:** GitLab - **Location:** United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Code Review, Distributed Computing Environment, Elasticsearch, Python (Programming Language), PostgreSQL, Open Source Technology, Ruby on Rails, Ruby, Systems Integration, Indexer, Backend, Gitlab, Codebase, Graphql, Front End Software Development, Vertica, Restful APIs - **Published:** August 20, 2026 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/gitlab/jobs/8695815002 ## About the Role * A strong product mindset. You care about what users are trying to do. You hold strong opinions from the user perspective, listen to peers, and negotiate trade-offs with product managers and users. * Experience leading and supporting other engineers. You've driven projects involving several engineers over months. You care about your teammates' growth and give it your time through thoughtful code reviews, regular feedback, support for career development, hiring, and mentoring contributors. * Full stack experience with a current backend focus, including proficiency with Ruby and Ruby on Rails and experience maintaining backend features in a large, mature codebase. * Strong PostgreSQL skills and experience improving PostgreSQL performance at scale, including query and write optimization, indexing, denormalization, and partitioning. * Experience designing and evolving GraphQL and/or REST APIs, with attention to scalability, backward compatibility, and clear contracts with frontend clients. * Experience improving large automated test suites, with a focus on the performance and reliability of the tests themselves. * Strong written and verbal communication skills for an asynchronous, distributed environment. * Experience integrating AI into development workflows or developing AI-powered features, or working with Elasticsearch, ClickHouse, or Python, is a plus. ## Description We're looking for an experienced Product Engineer who cares deeply about users and has full stack experience, with a current focus on backend. You'll spend as much time understanding what users need and shaping how features should work as you do building them. You'll work directly with the product manager, engage with users on our public issue tracker and support tickets, and collaborate with contributors. You'll be deeply involved in the backend architecture that powers the work items platform. This system has to serve millions of work items in a single user's view across tens of thousands of groups and projects. We provide access to Claude Code and other agentic tools and encourage responsible agentic development. We also build our own artificial intelligence (AI) features by integrating GitLab Duo with the work items platform, so experience developing AI features is a strong plus. What you'll do * Collaborate closely with Product to shape requirements and break projects into shippable iterations. Work with other engineers to plan and complete the work. * Design and implement backend features across the GitLab monolith, including GraphQL and REST application programming interfaces (APIs) and real-time subscriptions, with a strong focus on performance, reliability, and user impact. * Improve PostgreSQL performance at scale by optimizing queries and writes, denormalizing and partitioning tables, and moving workloads to Elasticsearch or ClickHouse where appropriate. The work items framework serves as the foundation for some of the highest-traffic surfaces in GitLab. * Contribute to real-time features that keep work item information current as it changes. * Create proofs of concept for complex work. Ensure quality through extensive testing and safe rollouts behind feature flags. * Mentor engineers and open source contributors through code reviews, pairing, feedback, issue preparation, and contribution reviews. * Participate in on-call rotations to troubleshoot production issues, contribute to root cause analysis, and improve observability. * Improve the developer experience for yourself and your team, including test infrastructure, the review process, retrospectives, and how we work together., What is your current country of residence?* Select... Are you subject to any employment agreements and/or post-employment restrictions with your current employer or a past employer?* Select... It is important to us to create an accessible and inclusive interview experience. Please let us know if there are any adjustments we can make to assist you during the hiring and interview process. What is your GitLab username? Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for a visa to remain in your current location?* Select... Have you previously worked at or consulted for GitLab?* Select... How many years of professional experience do you have working with Ruby on Rails?* Select... Is your current location Bangalore?* Select... Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. As set forth in GitLab's Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. Gender Select... Are you Hispanic/Latino? Select... Race & Ethnicity Definitions If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows: A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. 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